The Hidden Forest
by crosseyedbutterfly
Summary: The Misu sisters meet up with a guy from their past as another case unsures to save a mystical forest from destruction...read the summary inside it's better...*finished!!!* #Fomating problems are fixed!!#
1. The Beginning

Moshi moshi!

Summary: Tira and Chocolate, by what it looked like in the Manga, were the only two to survive Sacher's 'search' for a certain child, or at least were the only two that were allowed to remain in the Sorcerer Hunter realm, if you will. What if at least one more had survived, was taken in by Big Momma, and had awaited the day when he could finally have his revenge on the man who had killed his family and the love of his life. This is his story. It's sort of put in after Book 11 or 12.

Disclaimer: I will post this once and only once if this short fic runs more than one chapter. I don't own these characters other than the ones I create. I own the mini plot I created for the story, not the main plot that the series is based on. I'm not making diddly squat for writing this, so if you sue me you'll get *counts change in pocket*  $.46 and maybe what I can pawn off my alarm clock for you troubles. If you want to borrow one of these characters that are mine *please* ask before you use them. That is all.

BTW:  This "..." is spoken.

And This %....% is thoughts, ok?

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Lee Fletcher glided along the forest floor, his cloak flowing silently around him as he jumped up into a cave high above the ground. Glancing around, he drew the gigantic sword on his back and crept forward. Seeing something out of the corner of his eye, he turned quickly and pointed the tip at the shadow and almost laughed at himself for his stupidity. 

It a mere squirrel who had set off his sensors, something that normally happened every couple weeks. "Com'ere," he said roughly, holding out his hand. "This is no place for you to be, forbidden magic's hidden here that could turn you into a monster. "I'll put you back on the ground where you be-" *BAM* 

Lee crumpled to the ground, his sword falling out of his hands to lie beside him on the floor as a masked man floated past. "Go now and tell your precious 'Big Momma' what has happened," the man hissed mockingly, pushing him over the edge of the cave with his weapon. "Nothing will be able to stop me once I have all six of the hidden secrets this forest holds. Nothing."

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Lee spit the leaves in his mouth out as he slowly came to, glancing around to see if he could remember where he was. A glance up proved his suspicions, the cave above him was no more, the forbidden magic's in there that had kept it standing were gone, leaving it to collapse in on itself. 

Rubbing his head, he tried to remember what was in that cave. Sighing, he counted them off on his fingers. There was the wrist band thingy that made people faster than was physically impossible and gave them the ability to fly, which was needed to access the fourth forbidden magic. Unfortunately, it only worked if you had three of the few Unicorn crystals from the forest, which meant killing them. That alone was worthy of death when it came down to it. And the crystals only worked for awhile which meant you had to kill more and more. That's where the second one came in handy.

The second one was the box. All you had to do was make a wish and *poof* it would appear. The only thing was the box eventually posses the person to become paranoid of their friends, making them think everyone wanted the box and the things they possessed. That usually led to senseless slaughter, so it had been placed there as well.

He scratched his head, he knew there was one more there he just couldn't remember what it was. A fox came running by after a rabbit, making it click in his head as it did. The amulet that gave you control over all beasts, magical or not, anywhere any time as long as you had seen it before. Seeing as how the animals didn't have a choice and it once more ended up in senseless slaughter of both humans and animals alike it had been placed there as well.

Reaching in his pocket, he took out a small vile and broke it on the ground, getting up and stepping into the smog it made, Big Momma would have to be warned, and fast...

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Carrot, Tira and Marron walked along the road to another town with nothing to do until Big Momma contacted them. Things had been slow after Sacher had been defeated, and other than that Maze guy they hadn't had a real challenge lately.

"Hey bro," said Carrot lazily, not seeing any cute girls yet. "When do you think Big Momma will contact us again?"

"I don't know," replied Marron slowly. "Think of it as that vacation you're always asking for."

"Hey, that's a thought!"

"Maybe we'll team up with some others for the next mission," shrugged Tira, keeping her eyes focused ahead. "Not that this group isn't fine, but we can't handle those really tough missions on our own..."

"How do you know the next mission will be a tough one?" asked Marron, giving her an odd look.

"I don't," she replied with a shrug. "But seeing as how whenever things slow down we have to take care of something huge, I'm just making that assumption."

"True..."

"Hey lady, wanna have some fun!"  called Carrot, about to chase after some cute chic who was running towards them. Tira's eye twitched as she pulled out a mallet and squashed him flat, leaving Marron to drag his older brother into town.

Marron shook his head as he watched Tira contain the urge to turn around and kill his brother a little ways in front of him. "Carrot..."

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Big Momma frowned as she listened to what Lee had to say, nodding now and then as she did. He sat before her in midair, cloak still billowing around him in a phantom wind.  

"You do realize I'll have to bring in some of my Hunters to help with this," she said, knowing how he liked to be alone.

"Who?" he asked, "A Haz knight to two? Those guys are fine with me, they get the job done and they leave."

"No," she replied. "Look." She showed him two groups in a mirror she produced, the color draining from his face.

"I'll do it myself then," he said quietly. "I'm not ready, they're not ready, it's too soon..."

"Sacher is dead, Lee," said Big Momma quietly, her normally cheerful face very serious for once. "It is time to move on. These two do need to know there is a reason why they didn't have any help that day. Why so many died. Why, since you are alive, you didn't come and see them after all those years. Of those who survived, only you and those two were allowed to keep their memories and continue as Sorcerer Hunters. The rest had their memories erased and were sent to live as orphans with other families."

"I couldn't, you ordered me not to after I was well again!" shouted Lee, pointing at Big Momma angrily.  "I wanted to go fight Sacher, you refused me my revenge and let someone else kill him instead. I wanted to go see those who had lived after that one hellish day, you wouldn't let me saying it would cause too much pain. Why now, Big Momma, why am I finally being allowed to do this after it's too late?"

"If I had let you go after him when you had recovered you would've been killed. You are powerful, Lee, that's why Sacher wanted you to help him. But not powerful enough to defeat him."

"Then I would've joined Zadah at last," retorted Lee. "To be with her I would do anything..."

"You are needed as the protector of the Hidden Forest," replied Big Momma. "I need you there. This man, whoever he is, must be very powerful if he was able to get past you so easily. That or very clever. You have only had one other time when some threatened the magic and the special beasts that roam that valley, and that was years ago."

"Then I'll return there and get rid of this pest myself," said Lee pointedly 'standing up' so his feet were once more on the floor. "If you'll excuse me..."

"You'll stay right here and accept the help I'm going to give you," said Big Momma, snapping her fingers. He froze in his spot, finally sighing and giving up the struggle to move.

"Hai, Big Momma."

"I know you still resent the fact I stepped into you life so many times," said Big Momma, letting him free once more. "But it was for the best."

*sighs* "Hai, I know. Gomen, Big Momma."

"You're forgiven. Now, if you'll excuse *me*..." She vanished in a *poof* leaving him alone in the big hall. Sitting back down in midair, Lee waited and wondered what he would say when he was reunited with his foster sisters once more...

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Carrot woke up awhile later, a cold icepack on his head and Marron sitting beside him reading some ancient scroll. "Uhhh..."

"Oh, you're awake," said Marron, giving him a small smile. "Tira really must've bashed you this time. Normally you wake up the moment another pretty girl walks by."

"The thought that she was still right there with the mallet in hand may've kept me down for once," said Carrot sarcastically. "I doubt it, though."

"You know, if you weren't such a pervert this may not happen all the time," teased Marron, putting the scroll down and handing him a plate. "Here's your lunch. Try not to-" *GULP* Marron looked at the now empty plate. "-inhale it."

"Hey Marron, how's- oh, you're up." Tira's glasses slipped down her nose, giving her a schoolgirl look as she pushed them up with her right hand. The left held some supplies and food. Carrot's stomach rumbled just them. "You bottomless pit," sighed Tira, "I guess we could eat early-"

" Moshi moshi!" Everyone stopped in their tracks as Big Momma popped in, literally, a lot smaller than they usually saw her.

"Hey," said Carrot, swinging his legs around to stand up. "Aren't you usually a lot bigger...?"

"Yeah, but you're not out on the road and I couldn't wait," came the short reply. "If I were my normal size, everyone in town would see me, and then there'd be mass chaos and it just wouldn't be good," she explained, wrinkling her nose. "Anyways, I have another client for you."

"Another case?" said Carrot, "And I was just getting relaxed too..."

"If you want I can send you off to work in some salt mines for a nice long time," offered Big Momma with a huge smile. "I'll even count it as your vacation time."

"No, that's ok," said Carrot quickly. "Relaxing really isn't really my thing anyway, I'd rather be working."

"Right..." muttered Tira. "So, what's the case, Big Momma?"

"You'll see when we get there," she replied. "It'll be a bit of a family reunion, I believe..."

"What, you mean my father Onion will be there?" griped Carrot, "Oh man..."

"My sister and Gateau could be working with us again," added Tira, making a face as she did.

"You'll just have to wait and see," said Big Momma as Carrot and Tira made a bet on who was right. "Although I think you're in for a surprise..." *Poof* And they were gone.

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Tira, Carrot and Marron appeared next to an impatient looking Chocolate and her partner Gateau who was posing for himself in a mirror.

"Carrot!"  Carrot was soon running around the room from Chocolate, who was doing her best to get Carrot to be in love with her. "Darling! Did you miss me? Have dreams about me? Pine away until you could see me once more?"

"Help!" cried Carrot, hiding behind Tira, who only glared at him and her sister, and then jumping behind Marron who was glad for the distraction. Gateau was giving him those looks again and he was not interested at all.

A figure in the background caught Tira's causing her to ignore the others for a moment. It was a guy, obviously nervous about something as he sat in midair with a cloak hanging about him. His hair was long enough cover his eyes, and as black as Marron's in color. The blade on his back looked familiar, giving her a feeling that she should know this man, though his clothes were unlike anything she had seen before. His arms and legs had leather straps and buckles on them, probably for some form of protection, and one hand wore a silver gauntlet, or at least it looked like it did...

"Now that we're all here, it's time for you to meet your client," said Big Momma, appearing out of nowhere. 

"Moshi moshi," said the man nervously, "I don't suppose you recognize me, do you Tira or Chocolate?"

"Who is this fruitcake?" Carrot asked Tira quietly, seeing her struggle as she tried to place him. 

"I....I don't know..."

"How do you know our names?" asked Chocolate suspiciously.

"Maybe this will help you remember," sighed the guy, drawing his blade from his back. It was about four feet long and a foot wide. The handle was at least a foot and a half long if it was an inch, and was carved bone of some sort with silver inlays and leather wrappings for grip.

Tira gasped as Chocolate rubbed her eyes to make sure it was real. "That's... Leila's sword..." Tira said faintly, looking like she might faint herself.

"I don't know how you got that blade!" raged Chocolate, tearing off her clothes to reveal her battle outfit (the one with the army boots, black pants, suspenders and a hat) and pulled out a coil of wire. "But I will kill you for having it!"

"Hey!" cried the man as he sliced through the wire that came at him. "Come on, Chocolate, I know you had a temper, but isn't this a little out of proportion? The least you could do is try and remember my name!"

"Never! You will die for touching the blade of the one person I never thought could never do any wrong!" cried Chocolate, sending several wires at him at once as Tira's eyes snapped.

"Wait!" she cried, changing herself into that leather suit and boots she wears and using her whip to bring back the wires. "Don't hurt him, Chocolate!"

"What are you talking about, Tira?" growled Chocolate as her younger sister went over to the man, a small smile on her face. 

"It's Lee, can't you see it?" she replied, smiling even wider. "I can't believe you're alive, brother." She hugged him as Chocolate began to sulk and everyone's jaws dropped to the floor.

"Brother?" asked Carrot, "I didn't know she had a brother..."

"Adopted brother," corrected Chocolate, giving him a glare. "He was one of those assumed dead after Sacher went insane. But as you can see, he's not."

"What? You're not happy to see me, sis?"

"Don't call me that." Chocolate stalked back over to Gateau's side, too steamed to chase after Carrot at this point. "What do you want because the sooner we get it done the sooner we can get out of here. I can't stand wimps or traitors, so hurry it up."

Lee sighed, he had expected something like this from Chocolate. Tira frowned as she let go of Lee, standing beside him. "Chocolate..."

"It's ok," said Lee quickly. "I knew she was going to say that. But seeing as how time is short right now, we'll have to skip over that story and save it for later. I'm the Guardian of the Hidden Forest."

"*The* Hidden Forest?" asked Marron. Lee nodded. "Wow, it's a pleasure to meet you, Guardian Lee."

"What Hidden Forest?" asked Gateau with a smirk. "I've traveled all over the world and I've never heard of it."

"Most don't unless they've studies Magic extensively," replied Lee, motioning at Marron. "Obviously, he has. Anyway, we need to get moving. Big Momma, if you will?"

"What about the case?" puzzled Carrot.

"I'll tell you what happened as we go," said Lee, jumping through the portal Big Momma had created for him. "See you on the other side!" Everyone else slowly followed him, Tira the first one to go. Finding themselves in front of a huge cliff with a barren canyon behind them, everyone looked about skeptically.

"I don't see no forest," said Chocolate suspiciously. "What kind of scam are you pulling here?"

"None," replied Lee with a shrug. "Watch." He waved his hand over a portion of the cliff face, creating a tunnel into its face. "Follow me." Grabbing a torch that was just inside the doorway, he walked confidently down its length until it opened up into small clearing with tall trees surrounding them everywhere. 

"Is this enough of a forest of you?" asked Lee as he pushed aside some bushes, showing how high up they were with a huge valley spread out below.

"How are we getting down?" asked Marron, seeing no paths. "None of us can fly, you know."

"I know," replied Lee with a nod, whistling sharply. "But they can." Four large griffins appeared over the edge of the cliff. "Within this valley is an assortment of magical and mystical creatures only heard of in legends and fairly tales. And I am Guardian over all of them."

"Are there any dragons? Or white tigers of old?" asked Marron as he got behind his brother on a griffin, everyone else getting on one as well.

"Yes," replied Lee, smiling as he flew off with the others behind him. "As well as Unicorns, Stormwings, Blink-lynx, Centaurs, and hundreds more."

"I can't see the ends of either side of this valley," said Marron. "How big is this place?"

"Bigger than you'd think," replied Lee. "Each of the not so normal creatures has its own area in which they preside alone or with others they get along with. Plus, there's a multitude of regular forest animals that live where they please and travel all over the place. Unfortunately its not the animals and creatures that brings you here." Lee's face became hard as he gave curt orders to the griffin he was riding.

"What for then?" asked Tira, trying to spot any unusual creatures she could down below.

"Within this valley exists a set of 6 forbidden magic spells," he explained leading them to the cave where it had all happened. "The first two aren't that powerful over all, just very erosive and stubborn. Even Big Mamma would have trouble destroying them, and that's saying something. The other four, though, get progressively stronger. The first three were hidden together in that cave."

"What cave?" asked Gateau. "I just see a hole that is plugged with rubble."

"That's the point," said Lee sadly. "It was the spells themselves that kept the old cave intact and now they're gone so it's collapsed. If you acquire those three, it makes getting the last half much easier. That is why you are here, to help me catch whoever it was who took them and get rid of him before they get all 6 and escape from the valley. You have no idea what sort of trouble a man who got hold of all 6 could do if he weren't stopped, the shear power of just the last one alone....anyways. That is your mission, ok?"

"Fun," Chocolate sarcastically. "How do we know that this guy hasn't already taken all 6 and is causing someone else trouble?"

"Because," replied Lee. "Unless you've gone over every inch of this valley, you'd easily get lost and even if you do know your way around somewhat it takes at least two days to get from one hidden spot to another."

"How long have you been gone since you were attacked?"

"A day and a half."

"Then what are we waiting for?" asked Chocolate. "You should've taken us straight to the second place instead of wasting our time here."

"Not necessarily," said Lee as his griffin and everyone else's landed by what was left of the cave. "You see, this marks the end of the griffin's territory so I'm going to find another way for us to get there without causing trouble for my creatures." He got off and everyone else followed suit, using a different whistle this time. Three centaurs with spears rode into the clearing, all bowing when they saw him. 

"Hail Master Lee," they said in unison. "Hail Master Lee."

"No time for that now, fellows," said Lee, smiling at their praise. "Chief, can I get rides for my guests and me?"

"Hai sir, as you wish Master Lee," replied the oldest of the three. 

"I'll need your strongest and your fastest centaurs," said Lee, growing serious again. "It will be more dangerous than the usual trips. I wouldn't drag you and your herd into this if I didn't have a choice."

"I see," said the Chief. "Come with me. I will find you my best men for you to take."

"I will go father," said one of those beside him, obviously bearing his features. "I am fast enough and strong enough."

"Are you sure you want to send him, Chief?" asked Lee as they went. "I would feel terrible if something were to happen to him..."

"As would I," shrugged the Chief. "But I cannot shield him forever. He will go."

"Ya!" Lee mounted the Chief's son (on his back for you perverts out there) and waited patiently for the others to get their rides. Gateau got to ride a very muscular, machoish stallion who was mostly brawn and no brain like himself. Tira and Chocolate shared a large mare that was very strong and fast for her size, and Marron and Carrot rode twins who were just younger than the Chief's son.

"Are we ready?" asked Lee, waving goodbye to the herd. 

"Hai."

"Let's go."

"Hmph."

"Sure."

"I wanna get moving here!"

"Alright then," replied Lee. "Head towards the river near the east lands as fast as you can without a break, got it?"

"Hai sir, Master Lee."

"Then let's move!"

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The masked man floated by the east lands stream, holding a map with all sorts of picture out in front of him. "Hm..." he muttered to himself. "It should be right....here." He tapped a stone beside the waterfall, seeing a door open from underneath it. "Bingo."

Checking to make sure he still had the wristband, the box, and the amulet in the various pockets of his attire he walked into . "Now all I have to do is find the spell and the map I hid here and finding the other two will be a cinch...watch out Big Mamma! The days of the Masked Magician are about to begin..."

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"Here we are," said Lee as they rode into a clearing, the centaurs coming to a stop. "Centaurs, hide in the woods until I call for you. The rest of you, come with me." He walked over to a cliff the stream went over, quickly climbing over the edge. Everyone else soon followed, some (like Chocolate and Gateau) griping and grumbling as they did and the rest just keeping quiet.

"Oh, crap. He got here first," hissed Lee, seeing the door was open. "Come on, he may still be in here."

"Uh, Lee?" asked Tira cautiously, "What sort of Hidden Magic is this?" They knew what the rest of them were since he had explained it all on the way there.

"Um, it gives the wearer of the helmet invisibility as well as the presumption that they're invincible as well. Which of course, still leads to mass chaos and senseless slaughtering of one sort or another," he replied quietly.

"So, its dark and we won't be able to see his shadow, right?"

"Well, either way he doesn't cast one."

"So, you're saying if he's found it we're screwed."

"Um...yeah, basically."

"Eh, we've had worse odds before..."

"Shh...the rooms right up ahead."

"How do you know where you're going in the dark, Lee?" asked Carrot. "I can't see a thing."

"It's all left turns, Carrot."

"Oh."

They walked into a small room that was well light by torches that never seemed to burn out. In the middle was a stand off of which a caped, masked man was about to take the helmet (it's like a Roman one) and put it on.

"Put that down!" yelled Carrot, rushing forward with his sword raised before anyone could stop them. The man disappeared in the blink of an eye, stopping him in his tracks. Suddenly, something hit his jaw and sent him flying across the room into a wall. 

The invisible man picked up a sword, using it to try and chop the rest of them to pieces. Lee easily dodged the attacks, seeing as how he could still see the sword waving about in the air. The man, obviously deciding this was futile, dropped the sword and instead knocked him out with his fist. The rest of them scattered through the room, trying to keep in a somewhat ring so he couldn't slip behind them. Obviously they had forgotten about the wrist band of speed and being able to fly.

Marron was picked up into the air and a sword held to his throat, a disembodied voice surrounding them. "Stay here until you hear me laugh outside. If you don't, this pretty boy loses his head, understand?"

"Don't hurt him!" cried Carrot, having recovered from his earlier blow. "Leave him here, I'll go instead!"

"How touching," came the sarcastic reply. "But he will do. If you behave and you don't force me to remove his head then I'll leave him tied in the gorge. If you hurry you might be able to save him from there. After all, the werewolves don't come to feed until sunset. Je na!"

"Oh crap." Carrot sat heavily against the stand, everyone else sitting or standing nervously around him, ready to run at the signal. Lee came too and was quickly informed of everything that had happened, shaking his head as he listened.

"This is not good," he muttered as the laugh came, all of them quickly scrambling to their feet and heading for the door. Unfortunately, it shut on them trapping them in the room.

"Nooo!" wailed Carrot, pulling out fistfuls of his hair.

"I don't have time for this!" thundered Gateau, his eyes flashing as he lifted up his fists. "AARHHHHH!!!!!" He broke through the door with his bare hands and went on, leaving Lee standing there in wonder.

"How in the world...."

"Don't ask," replied Carrot, rolling his eyes. "Just come on!"

They ran down the tunnels, Lee calling out directions as they came across intersections and such. At the end, the door was also closed and Gateu was about to crash through this one when Le stopped him and pressed a hidden button near by, the door swinging open silently and allowing them out into the open.

"This door I need to stay intact," he explained as he called for the centaurs, getting on the Chief's son the moment he could. "The gorge is fairly far from here and we only have a little while until sunset," he said quickly, pointing his mount along the river's edge and going as a fast gallop. "We need to hurry as fast as you guys, and gal, can go."

If everyone thought they had been going fast before, this was like riding the free winds. Tira and Chocolate would both swear later on they were flying, and it was certainly plausible since their mare soon took the lead and they arrived there about 5 minutes earlier than everyone else.

"Arigato," said Tira, dismounting from the mare. "What's your name?"

"Uh....Bluwynd." Considering that she was a blue sorrel and she ran as fast as the wind, they didn't ask anymore and began to look for signs of Marron.

"Can you see him?" asked Tira, walking along the edge of a very steep gorge (it was about a mile deep, give or take a few feet) "He's not on this side."

"No, I- wait! There he is!" Chocolate spotted him hanging from an outcrop by a rope about halfway down. %If I save Marron maybe, Carrot will truly be able to show me how he loves me!% *Goes off into some erotic daydream as she whips off her clothes to reveal her other outfit*

"What are you doing?" called Tira as she rushed over to where Chocolate was securing her wire to a rock and staring backing down the edge of the gorge.

"I'm going to go and save Marron so Carrot will truly love me!" she said in a sing-songy voice, continuing to go farther and farther down.

"What if your wire can't hold that much weight and you both fall to your death?" asked Tira in a practical voice. "I'm coming too."

"Fine...but I get all the credit!"

"Sure, whatever." Tira whipped off her cape to reveal her own leather outfit and whips her string around a tree a couple of times before she rappels down the brink of the gorge after her sister. Neither one talks, just waves when the others come into the clearing and continue their way down.

Their lines end just about five feet above Marron and Chocolate comes up with some half-baked plan she thinks will work. "Hey, Tira! Hold onto my line while I- hey!" While she was thinking ever so hard Tira just pulled out her trusty whip and snagged Marron from the branch, flopping him over her shoulder.

"Ready to go?" asked Tira, smiling at her sister.

"Uh, sure." Chocolate gives Tira this 'look', and asks, "Hey Tira? Why do you have a whip and I don't?"

"Well, your wire is usually enough and you don't need it to keep Carrot under control whenever he's hit by magic and needs to change back."

"Oh. One more question."

"What?"

"Why did you get to travel with Marron and Carrot and not me?"

"Because I'm not openly trying to bed him and the three of us work well as a team."

"What, so you're secretly trying to bed him?" Chocolate's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Are you and darling-"

"No! What makes you think that?" Tira sweated as Marron slowly came to behind her.

"I didn't even ask you the question." 

"Huh? AHhh!" Tira stopped for a moment to reassure Marron (who had come to his senses) she wasn't going to drop him and that everything was ok. "Those things that are all furry with sharp white teeth are coming up after us," he warned, cringing as he realized how vulnerable he was.

"Oh, well...come on, we're almost to the top." Chocolate hurried the last several feet, wanting to be the first to get to her 'darling.' What surprised them both was when furry hands shot over the edge and hauled them up, quickly immobilizing them at the sight of the others all tied up.

"What do you think, Tira?" asked Chocolate, her eyes flashing as she realized what these monsters had done to her friends.

"I think they need to be punished."

"I agree." The two of them threw off their captors and quickly went to working whipping the dog-like creatures to their knees. Tira rushed over to the others as soon as she could manage and set them free by slashing through their bindings with her string.

"I sure hope you can use that sword," she muttered to Lee as she freed him and more werewolves climbed up over the edge.

"Trust me," he said grimly, standing up and drawing the blade. "I can." Gateau as soon swinging his huge fists everywhere, Chocolate was taking heads off with her wire, Lee was lashing out with extreme skill at anything that moved, Carrot was just dodging everything since he wasn't getting hit with magic and could transform, Tira was tying them up as fast as she could, and Marron was lying on the ground helplessly since he was still lying to the side, all tied up.

Carrot finally rushed to his side, trying to get the knots undone before he simply drew his sword and cut through it. "Gomen!" called Tira, giving Marron an apologetic look as she realized what she had forgotten.

"Tira, watch out!" cried Marron, seeing the werewolf jump at her from behind.

"What- Ahhhh!" The creature sunk its teeth into her arm, pushing her almost over the edge. "You are so dead!" She pulled out a dagger no one knew she had and plunged it into the beast's heart, quickly detangling it from her.

"You alright, Tira?" called Lee, sounding worried.

"Yeah, I-" *crack* "Oh no..." The ledge she was sitting on began to give way, causing her to slip over the edge as she tried to scramble for higher ground. "Ahh!"

"Gotcha!" Carrot reached out and grabbed her arm, lying on his stomach as she dangled over the gorge.

"I swear, Carrot, if you drop me I'll haunt you for the rest of your life," threatened Tira, turning white as she continued to hang there.

"Don't worry," said Carrot with a smile. "I wouldn't-" *crack-rumble*  "Oh dear..."

"AHhhh!!!" Both of them went over the edge and out of sight as the rest of the ledge gave way before anyone could help them.

"Brother!"

"Tira!"

"Nooo!"

"Bluwynd!" cried Lee, rushing to the edge and seeing they landed on a ledge about halfway down. "Go get them before they're eaten alive! Then sun's set!"

"But Master..."

"Just go!"

"Master!"

"Oh crap." Lee rubbed his head. "I give thee permission to use thine wings. Now fly!"

"Hai, sir." Bluwynd galloped over the edge of the gorge, dropping like a stone. 

"Hey!" cried Chocolate, "What'd you do that for?"

"Watch." A few moments later, Bluwynd reappeared at the edge of the gorge, circling around with a pair of wings. "What are you waiting for?" asked Lee as he killed another werewolf. "Go get them!"

"Yes, Master." She dove down into the depths, and that was all they saw of her for awhile...

**down below** 

Tira got up the moment she thought she could move, pushing Carrot off of her and shaking him awake. "Carrot," she whispered, the fear obvious in her voice. "Carrot, get up. We have to get out of here now before-"

"Before what?" snarled a voice from the cave that led to the ledge. "I kill you? We feast on your bones? Oh, don't worry, little girl, that will happen regardless so why don't you lie down like a good little meal and just take what fate as given- urg!" Tira stood there angrily, smiling maniacally after she had snapped his neck. 

"No one calls me little girl and lives to tell about it," she said in a low voice, kicking him over the edge of the ledge.

"Uhhh...." Tira turned around, seeing Carrot stirring amid the rubble. 

"Come on," she said, looking at her arm which was still bleeding pretty badly. "We have to get out of here now!" He got up and nodded, about to say something when Bluwynd landed right next to them, wings and all.

"Next flight: up the gorge and out of the werewolves' reach," she said smartly.

"Boy, am I glad to see you," said Carrot, getting on right away and helping Tira up behind him. She held onto him tight with her one good arm, keeping the other near to her so she didn't get any blood on him.

"As I am glad to see you two, sugar," replied Bluwynd. Here, he got a good view of her wings. They were connected to her from where they would be on a human (right about the shoulder blades) all the way down to her lower back into her horse part where its shoulders where. "We're so outta here!" She zoomed away, barely escaping a hail of spears various werewolves sent at her as she skimmed along the wall of the gorge straight up.

"There you are!" called Chocolate when she saw them zoom over the edge into the sky. "I was getting worried about you, Darling!" As an afterthought, she added, "Oh, and you too Tira, I guess."

"So much for sisterly love," sighed Tira, sliding off Bluwynd as she tried to stop the bleeding with her hand.

"It that what happened when that thing bit you?" asked Marron, tearing some strips from his flowing robe-like shirt. "Here, let me bind that for you."

"Thanks."

"How did you get out of the gorge?" Lee asked one of the werewolves Tira had bound up in string.

"The man who came here with the pretty boy broke the bond," explained the undead creature. "He said he would give us freedom if we killed you and the rest, Master Lee. Gomen."

"Great," growled Lee. "Get back down there with the rest, I'm closing it again in three minutes and any who aren't in there will be killed." All who were still living or paritailly living scrambled for the edge, throwing themselves over anyway they could. Lee muttered some words under his breath, clapping his hands three times. A ring  of light appeared around the gorge's edge, fading away slowly.

"What did you just do?" asked Gateau, trying to touch the light but finding it just went around his hand.

"I trapped them in the gorge again," replied Lee. "They'll live, undead do somehow, but now we face a bit of a problem. This guy is supposed to be here, but he's not supposed to do the things he's doing."

"What do you mean?" asked Carrot, "I thought only you and those you invited were allowed in here."

"In a way," replied Lee. "Come on, its late and we won't get anywhere if we just sit here like this." He got up on the Chief's son once more, waiting for the others to get on their rides as well. "Head towards that camp I have on the other side of the gorge, ok?"

"Yes, Master."

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The Masked Magician cursed to himself as he walked them ride away, his plan had failed. Oh well, he would travel through the night and get to the third spot in the morning. He had the wristband that would help him fly over the traps in there and would be able to get the prize well before those slowpokes woke up. Then, he would set another trap for them there and let that kill them while he went and got the last prize. This would be a lot easier than he expected after hearing so many things about the current Guardian...

Oh well. "Come, Mogul," he said, stroking his winged-beast's head. "Let us go now and continue on while we can."

"Screeeech!"

"I know you're hungry, precious, but you can't eat anything in this valley. When we capture those cursed Scorcerer Hunters, you may feast on them." This time the beast was silent. "Good boy, such a good boy for daddy. Now, fly!"

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Lee brought them out to a clearing in a thick part of the woods, a small spring with a stream flowing from it in the middle. "We will stay here for the night," he said quickly, getting off of his mount. "Centaurs, go back to your herd and tell the Chief I said not to come looking for me until I contact him. 

"But Master..." Protested Bluwynd."

"Go," ordered Lee, "It is no longer safe for you to be with us."

"Hai, Master." Bluwynd and the others said their good-byes before taking off into the dark, never to be seen again.

"Why are we staying here?" asked Carrot. "It's not like we're very well protected here..."

"No one who isn't with the Guardian of the Forest can find this place," replied Lee. "Even if he has been guardian in the past."

"Is that who this man is?" asked Marron calmly. "One of the past guardians?"

"Yes, the one who was before me." Lee said no more as he pulled a rope hanging from one of the larger trees, a rope ladder coming down immediately. "Girls, you can share that platform up there. Me and the guys will sleep over here." He went over to the tree right across from it, tugging another rope and causing another ladder to fall. "You'll find everything you need to sleep and to eat up there."

At the mention of food Carrot scrambled up the ladder, Marron following to make sure he didn't eat it all. Gateau went up after them, figuring getting something to eat with his Marron would be better than hanging around with sword boy and the two sisters.

Chocolate glared at Lee and went up to her platform, regretting having ever come on this case at all. Tira stood there for a moment, swaying from side to side before she sat down at the base of the tree.

"You feeling alright?" asked Lee, sitting next to her at the base of the tree. "You've been a little woozy looking since that werewolf bit you."

"Yeah," she replied, pushing back her overcoat thingy to reveal her arm. The blood had already soaked through the layers Marron had put on there, staining the skin around it a deep scarlet. Lee frowned.

"Come over here," he said, leading her to the spring. "I'll take care of that real quick for you."

"I couldn't get the stream dirty," protested Tira. "Just get a bowl or something and I'll wash it over there or something..."

"You won't, trust me," replied Lee gently. He went over to where the spring started, drawing her arm with him. Undoing the binding as gently as he could, he pushed Tira's arm into the water right next to where it came out of the ground. It was surprisingly warm, but the bigger surprise was when he pulled it out and there was no sign of the bite mark at all, not even a scar. The water was as clear as ever and didn't show any tints at all from her blood.

"What? How did you-"

"The Guardian of the Forest has the ability to heal all humans and creatures rightfully in his domain with the help of certain springs or pools of water," he explained, leading her back to where she could sit on the shore. "Now if you don't mind, I'm going to wash off what blood I got on me before it stains."

"Sorry about that," apologized Tira. "If you want, I can go up with Chocolate..."

"No, stay here," requested Lee, a pleading look in his eyes. "You remind me so much of her." Tira didn't need to ask who by the look in his eyes. "You always did look up to her, and she loved you and your sister so much. As well as everyone else in that place."

"And all of them loved her," replied Tira, tears forming in her eyes. "Tell me what happened, Lee. I knew her, and I know in my heart she would never willingly desert us, her children. You and her were only, what, 16? 17? But when Sacher wasn't there, it was you two who took care of us. Please, Lee, I have to know."

"Sacher offered us positions in some plan of his," said Lee softly, sitting across from her on the ground after he had finished washing off. "Neither of us knew what he was talking about, but both of us agreed to it anyways figuring it was just some project or another like always to help more kids. We were taken to a room by two of his lackeys to watch was going to happen next. 

"Zadah about died when she saw what he was doing. The door was locked, but with Zadah and her blade we were able to get out. She charged right in after him, and I followed her all the way, shooting him with the same arrows he had named me by. It didn't do any good, though. He just said we were a disappointment to the cause and hit us both with one of his fire balls. I lost an arm." Lee removed his layers of tops to show her the mechanical limb Big Momma had given him in its place.

"It's warm," observed Tira softly, running her hand along it. "And Zadah? What happened to her?"

"It took off her head," he replied, tearing running down his face. "All she ever did was love you guys and do her best to take care of you and he killed her." Covering his prosthetic arm once more, he sighed and got up. "I loved her," he said slowly, taking out something out of his pocket. "And she loved me too. But she also loved all of you. She gave me this before she died, right as we were running out of the room. I think she meant for me to give it to you and your sister, she knew she was going to die." 

He handed her a small piece of string and wire twisted around together as one to form a small pattern in her hand. Tira let the tears flow down her face, looking at it as memories began to flash back in her mind. "I can't take this," she whispered, handing to back to him. "It...no. I just can't."

"It was obviously meant for you and Chocolate."

"Maybe, but I already have something to remember her by." Tira pulled out a small spool of thread. "She gave me this early on to play with, I think Chocolate still has the bit of wire she gave her too."

"Oh." Lee looked at the wire and thread, holding it gingerly in his hand. "What should I do with this, then?"

"Keep it," suggested Tira. "You have her weapon, but that represents the more, um, violent side of her. This shows the side that loved her large family and took care of them to the best of her ability."

"I guess you're right..."

**high above in the guy's tree**

"What's so special about him and some bit of wire and thread?" muttered Carrot, his legs dangling over the edge of the platform. "He healed her arm and gave her some present that she 'couldn't take', bid deal. Who cares? I still don't get what she sees in that guy."

"Stop acting like a jealous boyfriend," said Marron gently, sitting next to his brother to get away from Marron who was flexing his muscles again. "It's her long lost brother and she's just spending some time with him, that's all."

"Then why isn't Chocolate down there?" asked Carrot pointedly. "I swear, if he lays a finger on either of them I'll-"

"Chill out, Carrot," said Marron, pulling him back from the edge. "He's not going to touch either of the girls and even if he does they're *quite* able to take care of themselves, let me remind you."

Carrot nodded as he remember all the times they (especially Tira) had whipped him into submission. "Yeah, alright."

**High above in the girl's tree**

Chocolate sat by herself right above Tira and Lee, listening to them talk as she fingering a small roll of wire she carried with her everywhere. There was nothing special about it like the wire she fought with now, but Zadah had given it to her and that gave her all the reason in the world to keep it. 

Her mind raced as it processed all she had heard. %So Zadah didn't abandon us, and I knew she never would but...Lee's not a traitor. He was just duped like the rest of us and lived to tell of it. From the way things looked, the only way he could've escaped was by running, but he would never do that. I knew it too, I just didn't want admit it..." 

She stopped and listened as they began to talk again, this time about what had happened since then.

**down on the ground below**

"How did you manage to stay alive?" asked Tira after they resolved what to do with Zadah's wire and string creation. "Losing you arm and all, I mean one can't just walk away from something like that..."

"You're right, I didn't," replied Lee, nodding his head. "Afterwards, Big Momma found me and put me in a deep sleep so I could heal without moving at all. I didn't wake up for three years, and when I did I was ready to go after him again. But Big Momma wouldn't let me. She gave me a new arm and Zadah's sword as well as my quiver and bow. I burned the bow and arrows, them being from what Sacher taught me and swore I'd never fletch another arrow again as long as I lived. So, I'm no longer called Lee Fletcher for that reason.

"Big Momma assigned me here in the forest, to work helping to protect those who lived here as well as the secrets this place holds. I hated it, not being able to go after Sacher, but I didn't have a choice. She sealed me here for three years until I gave up trying to escape and accepted the job. I practiced with Zadah's sword until I felt worthy enough to use it all the time, and got to know some of the creatures in the valley."

"You do know Sacher's dead now, right?" asked Tira, giving him an odd look. "We killed him a little while ago..."

"You were the ones who fought Sacher?" asked Lee, looking at her suddenly. "I thought it was the Haz knights, or some other powerful being who owed her a favor, not a group of young kids..."

"Hey, we are not young kids," protested Tira, looking like she might pull out her whip and beat him into submission right then and there. "You'd better start talking fast if you value your life..."

"What I mean is you and the rest of this gang don't seem like the very powerful types," he explained as quickly as he could. "What power you might have is hidden. At first glance one would not be able to tell you were the defeaters of Sacher or even Sorcerer Hunters for that matter."

"Which is why we're so good at it," grinned Tira. She yawned just then, adjusting her glasses sheepishly. "I guess I better get going to bed..."

"Hai, me too..."

"Wait!" said someone from behind them, making them turn around and look at her.

"Chocolate?"

"Gomen," she said quietly, her head hanging as if she were a little kid. "I really am. Zadah loved all of us, especially you. I'm sorry I ever doubted you." She stood there, expecting some sharp remark, but it never came.

"It's ok, Chocolate," said Lee soothingly, hugging her. "I understand. A lot of the Hunters rejected me at first until they had heard the whole story, thinking I had run from the fight as well. But I don't care anymore, it's just nice to have my sisters back, even if they aren't biologically related to me." He opened up his real arm, letting Tira join the group hug. "See? We're all together again. The only three of that group who lived and remember it to tell what happened."

"Then there were others?" asked Chocolate hopefully. 

"Yes," replied Lee. "But Big Momma had their memories replaced and put them in other people's homes to be raised. I guess I see now why we were the only three to remember what happened." Noticing the rings under Chocolate's eyes and that Tira was yawning again, he added. "But we can talk about that in the morning. Go to sleep, you two, I'll come wake you up about dawn."

"Alright, Lee."

"Night, Lee!"

"Night, girls."

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Eh, yeah. That's the first part. Now, here's the big questions that aught to be floating around that brain of yours if you have one. Will they stop this Masked Magician in time before he retrieves all 6 of the forbidden magic items and spells in that valley? Why is Carrot jealous of Lee? Or is he jealous at all? Is it some deeper meaning that we don't understand quite yet? (There will be *no* yaoi, I'll tell you that right now.) Has Chocolate truly accepted Lee once more? What are the last two of the forbidden magic items or spells in the valley? Why am I rambling on like this for no reason at all? Find out next time on: The Hidden Forest.

One thing you should know, I had my wisdom teeth cut out of my mouth the day before I wrote this so any OOC's is due to the medication I was on. Ask anyone who talked to me, I was seriously messed up. Don't forget to review!

~crosseyedbutterfly~


	2. The Middle

Moshi Moshi again! Ok, folks. So it did run longer than one chapter. A wonderful thing happened today, WE GOT A DOG!!! It's so small and it's 8 months old, her name's Sandy and she's the cutest thing you ever did see and... *thwap* Ow! Alright alright! Anyways, I'm sorry I wasn't more clear about which book this comes after, basically it's the one with the maze guy right after Sacher dies. This story will only go for this chapter, and maybe one more, depending on my mood. Thanks!

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Chocolate was revived from her deep sleep by the smell of bacon and eggs being fried close by in the morning, wondering where she was for a moment before it all snapped into place. "Darling!" she called across the space between them. "Did you sleep well?"

Carrot was startled awake by her call, almost rolling over the edge of the platform. "Ahhh!"

"Hold it!" Marron grabbed his blanket, pulling him back to safety. "You ok, bro?" he asked, frowning some.

"Hai," replied Carrot with a nod. "I think so..."

"I bet he was up all night dreaming about me," sighed Chocolate, going off into another one of her fantasies. 

Tira rubbed her eyes, putting her glasses in place as she got up out of  bed. "Right..." Looking over at where the smell was coming from, she saw Lee using a couple of coals from a fire down below to cook them some eggs and bacon. 

"Like it?" he asked, seeing her eye the food hungrily. "There's already a plate made up over there if you want it."

She nodded, throwing her covers off and walking over it quickly. Some how she was already fully dressed in her cape. "Thanks, big brother."

"No problem, little sister."

"Did you feed those over there already?" asked Tira, pointing to the guy's tree with her fork.

"Naw, I figured they could wait, and besides it's Ladies first," he replied. "Careful with that thing, I remember when two girls in the group were fighting with forks and one got stabbed in the lip. It was bleeding everywhere, and of course both of them got in trouble for being so reckless. Still, we don't need anything like that right now, right?"

"Yeah, whatever." She glanced over to see Carrot had his eyes set on her plate, intently watching it as a bit of drool rolled down his face. Sighing, she got up and jumped off the platform (nearly giving Lee a heart attack in the process) and set her plate on a stump near by. "You can have it, Carrot," she called to him, watching him try to restrain himself from jumping over the edge and diving at the food (they hadn't had a cooked, hot meal for some time...).

"You sure you don't want it?" he called back, the strain obvious in his voice. 

"Take it," she replied. "I'll get some more from Lee." Super jumping back into the girl's platform, she got a glared from Chocolate  (which she ignored) as she picked up another plate and set to it with a will.

"And you did that because...?" asked Lee, giving her an odd look as he made another plate for himself.

"Carrot gets a little, uh, crazy when he doesn't eat," she explained, taking another bite of her eggs. "That, and he just looked pathetic drooling like that, I had to do something."

"Sure you did." Tira shot her sister a look as Lee chuckled quietly to himself, if only Zadah could be here to see this...

"Hey!" called Carrot from the bottom of the tree. "You got anymore of that up there?"

"Bottomless pit," said Tira, rolling her eyes.

"Whip-girl!" replied Carrot.

"Yeah, that's right I am. You want me to use it on you?"

"No, that's ok..."

"You can come up here and let me hand feed you, darling," called Chocolate. "Unless of course you'd rather go some place more private..."

"Actually, on second thought, I'm not that hungry," said Carrot quickly, walking back to the guy's tree. "Thanks anyways. Oh, and thanks for the food, Tira!"

"Oh, you're welcome." He climbed back up the ladder, throwing a smile at them as he did.

"What was that all about?" asked Lee, looking at the Misu sisters over his plate as he finished his breakfast. 

"Nothing," they answered together, each busying themselves with what every they could find, even if it was cleaning up the crumbs they had missed from the plate.

"I see."

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"So, how do you know this guy and what is he doing here?" asked Marron as they guys ate their food at long last, the girls sitting side by side a little ways away from them. 

"Well, his name is Terrance," explained Lee, having another serving of food as well. "And he's the former Guardian."

"Why isn't he the Guardian anymore if he isn't dead?" asked Gateau. "Wouldn't a position like this be until death?"

"Well, no," explain Lee, frowning some. "If a Guardian is at ease where he is and does his best to keep this place a secret and at peace, then he will want to stay here until his dying day. If he is not, he can request that he be removed from his job. Big Momma will erase his or her memories of this place, then put him out in some village with the presumption he's been in a coma from something or other for several years. Although, within five years or so, he will get this urge to find the forest and go in search of it. It is considered the first test of the new Guardian to keep the old one out and erase the urge from his heart once more."

"Then why does this guy seem to know his way around so well?" asked Carrot through a mouthful of eggs. 

"The last Guardian, Terrance, just disappeared into thin air. Big Momma assumed he was dead, so she assured the occupants of the valley she had someone who could do the job as soon as he woke up. That, of course, was me," replied Lee. "I was expecting him in the first five years if he didn't die, but he never came. So I assumed he was dead and did what I had  to to keep unwanted visitors who were looking for power out of this place. But then he showed up, obviously remembering where everything was and knocked me out flat because that had never happened before."

"Isn't that a usual thing?" asked Gateau. "Aren't you supposed to be prepared for the unexpected."

"Well, yeah, but I never did well with surprises and-"

"Just tell us what else you know," said Marron quickly, saving him from anymore embarrassment. 

"Uh, yeah. So, he knows where everything is and is going for it as fast as he can get his hands on it. I'm assuming he's using something to get from place to place, other wise it wouldn't be this easy for him at all. This is an easy place to get lost in, after all, and once on foot it's hard to know your way around."

"What are the last two forbidden magics?" asked Carrot lazily. "Bring the dead back to life? A love potion of some sort? What?"

"Um, the Elixir of Imortalism and the Angel Rod, more commonly known as Angel's Bane. The Elixir, obviously, makes you immortal. But, when you first take it, the stuff gives you a burst of life and you do things better than most other humans. Unfortunately, you start to deteriorate soon after that. To retain your youth, you have to take the Elixir again and again."

"What is the elixir made of?" asked Tira, seeing he was getting to something important just by the look on his face.

"You know that girl who had wings and Big Momma raised?" Everyone nodded. "Well, it's made of her specie's blood."

"There's only two of them left," protested Chocolate, "It's no good if the person uses both of them then they're gone."

"Notice how there's a male and a female," Marron reminded her. "Now, if you'll remember back to health class *everyone shivers* what can a male and female do together...?"

"Oh, yeah." Chocolate blushed as she turned back to Lee. "What about the other one?"

"Well, the Angel Rod is just that, a rod made by a powerful Angel given to a human so he or she would have the same power as him."

"Don't angels have the power to destroy entire cities as well as create life itself?"

"According to the legend, they can."

"We are so screwed if that guy gets it."

"Yeah, pretty much."

"Hang on a second," said Marron. "Didn't you say that if you needed one from before to get to the ones later on? What helps him get this Angel Rod or Elixir that we don't have?"

"Well, to get to the Elixir you have to survive the hundreds of traps in the swamp it's hidden in," he explained. "A large part of that is being able to fly and being able to control animals. As for the Angel Rod, only an Immortal can touch it. Angels can make living beings immortal, however they can't grant them the same power they have."

"I see. Then how are we going to get to the Elixir before he does?"

"We won't."

"Nani?!"

"Hang on a second," he replied quickly, holding up his hands. "We can't get to it before he does, it simply won't happen. However, we can go and set a trap for him at the Angel Rod spot. I can get us through the traps and the territory well before he will, giving us time to prepare what we will do."

"Fine, when are we going?"

"As soon as you are all through."

"I'm done."

"Me too."

"I've been ready and waiting."

"I guess that would mean now, then, huh?"

"Uh, yeah. How are we getting there?"

"By these." Lee took a whistle out of his pocket and blew three different notes, the sound resonated all around them.

"No one showed up," said Gateau after a moment. "Or are they invisible this time?"

"No they aren't invisible," said a sassy voice above them. It was an extremely large owl who was hovering right over their heads. "You called, Master Lee?"

"Yeah, I need rides for myself and these five without further delay to the edge of the undead territory."

"Yes sir." She squawked a few times, getting the attention of four more owls within the area. "How will these do?"

"Someone will have to double up," observed Chocolate. "Me and my sister will if you need us to."

"No, that's alright," said Lee, "Whoever's the last one on an Owl has to ride with me."

"I will," said Tira, not even bothering to scramble for one. "Since I figured I'd be made to anyways."

"Alright." And off they went.

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The Masked Magician easily floated over the traps and pits set on the rocky hill he was climbing, getting ever father to the top. He stopped and landed just on the edge of the small circle that made up the top.

"It is here," he said quietly to himself, taking a phial from the pedestal in the middle and uncorking it quickly. "This will make me immortal, so not even the gods themselves can kill me!"

Throwing his head back, he gulped all the liquid into his system, a blaze of light burning through him as it spread through his veins. 

"It is done!" he shouted, keeping his head back as he began to laugh insanely. "It is done! Soon I will be able to free myself and those like me, no more will the damned be tortured for what they have done! We will be free!!! Truly free!!! NO MORE CHAINS OF SLAVERY!!! No one can defeat me now! With my life force preserved for now and forever more, I am invincible!! Mwuahahahahahahah!!!!!!!!!!"

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The Owls landed just at the edge of the forest, everyone looking around to see everything that represented life stop without any reason at all. The ground before them was rough and rocky, completely void of any sort of plants or animals, and echoing with unusual cries and calls only heard in the nightmares of the demented and sick.

"What is this place?" asked Carrot quietly, hanging back in the trees.

"The Undead's Territory," replied Lee solemnly. "Here there are all the undead creatures ever imagined since time began. 

"So, what, the ghost and skeletons live here? Really scary, right?" asked Gateau lightly, acting as if it were no big deal.

"Don't be like that," replied Lee quickly. "Those who inhabit this desolate place do not take insults like that at all. Do you want to die before we reach the Rod? If you do, keep right on what you're doing. If not, than knock it off." He started into the lifeless wilderness, everyone but Carrot close behind.

"Gateau just doesn't know when to- hey wait for me!" Carrot ran to catch up with them, staying in between the Misu sisters since they weren't afraid of anything and Chocolate was too nervous to try and chase him around right then.

"What sort of creatures live here?" asked Tira, sticking close to Lee's side as they went.

"What ever undead creatures you can think of, plus more," he replied seriously. "Vampires, ghost, werewolves, I think we have a ghoul or two as well and a camp of Zombies as well."

"Werewolves?" asked Marron, somewhat confused. "Didn't we already see them?"

"That was only the males," explained Lee quietly, making sure he kept his voice down. "The females reside here, seeing as how they are less, um, violent and can live in somewhat peace with the others here. That and if the males and females mate and reproduce the males will eat the cubs sometimes right as they come out of their mother, which leads to volleys of more senseless murder and slaughter. You get the point, right??"

"There's a lot in this valley that's associated with destruction and killing, isn't there?" asked Marron calmly, walking along as he always does.

"Yeah, there is." Lee set his mouth in a line and didn't say anything else, so no one asked him anything either.

They arrived in a deep canyon, the walls soaring high above them as they walked through it. Tira started as a female werewolf climbed down the wall head first, giving her the evil eye as she did. Both of the Misu sisters whipped into their fighting clothes and stood there stolidly, staring right back at the creature as it began to slink away.

"That was not such a bright idea," murmured Lee as he stood there for a moment, turning quickly and hurrying to the end of the canyon. "We have to get out of here now." He broke into a full sprint, everyone else hurrying to keep up with them as hideous howls began to come from either side.

"Why?" asked Carrot, easily catching up with him. "Why is that such a bad thing? Aren't you in charge of all these creatures?" Something huge and hairy dropped in front of them, causing everyone to stop in their tracks.

"That is why." Something smaller, with less drool coming from it's mouth, crawled down the wall in front of them, stopping in front of Lee and sniffing him cautiously.

"You are back, Master," came a low, but feminine voice. "What is it you are doing, sneaking in here with no warning and bringing- *sniffs at the others disdainfully*- strangers to our canyon?"

"I am hurrying to protect the Rod," replied Lee in a low voice. "You must let us pass before the other man after it gets here, or this place will be destroyed."

"Two of yours challenged one of my females," replied the she-wolf slowly. "You know what that means by the code we agreed upon."

"It was an accident," replied Lee, giving her a hard look. "I wasn't planning on making contact with you at all."

"Accident or not, rules are rules...urg!" The she-wolf glared at Tira, who had a string around her neck, and Chocolate who had wrapped her up in wire.

"Let us pass, or you will die," growled Chocolate, giving her a look that could curdle milk.

"....you may pass," replied the She-wolf at last. "But, only if you leave the one that changes shape here."

"You mean Carrot," replied Tira, tightening the string a little bit. "Never. You're in no position to be making demands here, miss."

"Oh, but she is." The hulking beast that had been lurking in the background came forward into the light, a nightmare would've been better than looking upon this beast's ugly mug. It was a she-wolf that was taller than a building with muscles that were bigger than Lee and fangs longer than his hands.

"What do you want with him?" asked Lee, giving Tira and Chocolate a look so they would stay quiet.

"He can change forms," explained the She-wolf. "It is as close as a mate any of us will get in this lifetime, and other than the fact that he is a coward and not all that bright he will do fine for that."

"You want to use him to *breed*??" screeched Chocolate, completely losing her cool as Tira looked like she wanted to completely sever off the She-wolf's head with her string. "You'll have to get through me first!"

"That's what I plan on doing, little girl." The beast rushed forward, charging through everyone else as it went straight for the two sisters.

"Oh crap...."

"Yep...."

Both tried to dodge it's massive paws, but it was surprisingly quick for it's size and soon had them pinned to the ground. "No!" cried Carrot, rushing forward as the beast was about to pound them flat, the others still on the ground in a daze.

"Stay!" cried She-wolf who was now free, throwing some magic at him. Instead of freezing him, he changed into his huge, bad-beast self as always.

"HEROOAARRRRRAARRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!" (Translated: YOU WILL DIIIIIIIEEEE!!!) Carrot as the big bad beast charged at She-wolf on steroids, wrestling her to the ground with his superior strength and speed, or so he thought. The moment that She-wolf's back hit the ground, Carrot was flipped over her into a wall near by, almost crushing those around them.

"Oh no..." wheezed Chocolate from where she lay, the air still knocked out of her. "Darling..." The She-wolf came towards them again, shaking the ground as she walked. Lee sat up and tried to stand, his legs refusing to work as the other She-wolf had frozen all of them in place.

Tira closed her eyes beside her sister, hoping the death would be swift and painless....but the shadow of the beast vanished all of a sudden. She opened her eyes, seeing Carrot sitting in front of them (still in beast form) and both She-wolves in front of him with their necks snapped.

"Carrot..." She could've sworn his eyes softened for just a half a second, making her hope she wouldn't have to move yet...but his eyes turned wild once more and she quickly rose to her feet, getting her whip out as he tried to get to the other she-wolves in the area. "HOHOHOHOHO!!" Leaping up above him, she lashed him across the back a couple of times. "Down! Down boy! That's a good boy, that's a very good boy..." Carrot turned back and lay on the ground for a moment, everyone but Marron averting their eyes as he got his older brother his clothes back and helped him get dressed real quick.

"Are you two ok?" asked Carrot the moment he was decent, going over and helping them up.

"Yeah..."

"Darling! I didn't know you cared!!!" Chocolate chased Carrot around the Canyon a few times as Lee gave strict orders to those who were left. Both activities finished, with those who weren't involved  going and waiting (or fuming if you were Tira) between the two as patiently as they could.

Lee checked the sun as soon as he had the time too, seeing they had wasted a lot of time there. "Let's go!" he called, setting out at a jog the moment he was done. Carrot had found refuge behind his brother, and Chocolate had given up when they started to move again.

"Where are we going now?" asked Marron, drawing up beside Lee. "I'd like some more warning after last time..."

"Yeah, sorry about that," replied Lee with a shrug. "The odds of them being out here in the daylight was 1 in a million. We're going through the Zombie Camp next, something that could be somewhat of a problem...."

"What is that?" asked Carrot, running behind him. "More females who wish to challenge my superiority?"

"Darling!"

"Carrot...."

"Alright, alright, I'm just joking! Please don't whip me, please don't whip me, please don't whip me...."

"That is so pathetic," murmured Lee, hiding a smile as he did. "The guy's whipped, isn't he?"

"Only when there aren't any cute girl's around."

"You're saying those two aren't cute? By the code of Big Brother's I'll have to pound you now if you don't explain that fast..."

"That's not what I meant, Lee. The only time he misbehaves is when he thinks he can get a girl. Chocolate is too much like his sister for him to go after her, and Tira...well, she'd probably just kill him outright."

"Oh, I see. Your life has been spared, Marron."

"Oh, uh...thanks, I think..." They jogged on for a few minutes, the only sounds coming from Carrot, who whimpered every time Tira or Chocolate glared at that back of his head.

Lee stopped a couple yards outside a huge stone enclosure, waiting for everyone to catch up before he began to speak in low tones.

"This is the back way to the Angel Rod," he whispered, taking care that no one but those around him would be able to here. "Inside that thing are the Zombies. They will ignore you until it is apparent you are headed for the cave that leads to the Rod. I need one person that will volunteer to go in first. That person must make it to the cave by speed or force, I don't care which one, and stand just inside the entrance. It's spelled so that once you're inside, they stop attacking until you go deeper into it."

"So, the one person goes and gets to the cave, then waits for the others before continuing onward, right?" asked Chocolate.

"Right."

"I'll go."

"No you won't."

"I will, then."

"No, you won't either."

"I will, if Marron thinks he can be parted from me for that long," said Gateau. "Don't pine for me, dear one, but if I don't return weep over my body until the day we can be together again."

Marron just scowled some, trying to get as far away from him as possible. "I'm so no gay," he muttered, "Why can't he just leave me alone?" Gateau had already jumped over the wall, though, and was heading for the cave Lee had pointed to.

"Here they come," murmured Lee, peering over the edge while everyone else stayed below. He watched as Gateau used his unusual strength to break through the waves of Zombies coming at him, easily making his way to the cave. "Please say he's better than the Shang Zombie...otherwise we're gonna need a back up plan..." Gateau looked somewhat surprised when all the Zombies pulled away, leaving one standing there before him. He was a head tall then all the other Zombies, and actually stood upright instead of slouching down like most did. He had once been a proud and valiant Warrior, until a curse had been placed on him and he was forced to live forever here.

Gateau patiently dodged all of the Zombie's blows, making sure he understood the man's style before he attacked himself. Satisfied with his observation after a few moments, he struck out hard to the Zombie's chest, expecting to take him down with one blow. What surprised him most was when his fist went through the guy's chest, and then when he tried to pull it back out it was held fast.

"Oh, crap..." The Zombie took advantage of the close range and started to beat on him mercilessly, him having both hands to use. Gateau did the best he could, striking out when ever he had the chance. Unfortunately, this only get his other fist stuck and soon he was almost out for the count with his head getting pounded on constantly.

Gateau was ready to give in when a thought struck him. Leaning back some, he pulled back his leg and whammed it into the guy's crotch, immediately setting his hands free and giving him free access to the cave. He made it there without anymore interruptions and waited patiently for the rest to make it over the wall and to the cave before causing an avalanche of rocks that sealed them in and the Zombie's out effectively.

"How did you know to do that?" asked Lee, giving Gateau an odd look as they started towards the other end of the cave where some light was coming from.

"Caving in the entrance or where to hurt that Zombie guy?"

"Both."

"The entrance had to sealed or they would come after us, right? That, and I knew he would still hurt there because I asked myself where would an undead still like to be solid? I, for one, would want to keep what I just smashed on that guy because when my dear Marron joined me in the afterlife he and I would still be able to have fun together."

Marron's hand slapped himself in the forehead, Tira and Chocolate fighting the urge to laugh as Carrot wisely put himself between his brother and Marron.

"I see," replied Lee, smiling himself. "Thanks."

"No problem. I'll do anything that could benefit the very cute Marron."

Marron looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him whole for quite some time as they kept walking, the light getting brighter as they went.

"Wow...." whispered Chocolate, stepping out into a small courtyard bathed in sunlight, plants and flowers growing everywhere along the stone paved courts. In the middle there was a large bench, a few large trees providing shade for it as a small stream wound it's way in a circle around it, flowing from there in different directions to several different pools at the edges of the courtyard.

"Yeah," replied Lee, smiling gently. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"What is this place?" asked Tira, bending down gently to touch one of the flowers near by.

"This is the Angel's Garden," he said softly, walking almost silently through the paths to a door a few feet behind the bench. "Also known as Lover's Garden. The legend goes that an Angel lived here and a beautiful young woman stumbled upon this place where he lived. Together, they created a paradise here and the lands around it. This is the only part, besides the mansion they lived in, still exists. It was for her that he created the Angel Rod, but it fell into the wrong hands after her death, so Big Momma placed it here in the Mansion with all sorts of traps around it for its safety after it was taken away from the person who got a hold of it. Only an immortal can touch it now, as well, so you have to get all of the other forbidden magic's before you try for this one, which obviously has its pluses and minuses."

"If you fail at one, you can never get the rest," said Marron, nodding his head.

"But if you get all of the first four, the last one won't be that hard and you might just make it," added Tira, looking at Lee. "That's right, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is," he replied, pulling out a key and inserting it into the lock that held the door shut. "Let's go. Don't get ahead of me and stay in a single file line. The last thing I need is for one of you to get trapped and have to leave you there until this guy is beat."

They did as he asked as they entered the huge mansion. You couldn't tell it by the rock face that the door was set in, but the mansion was several levels high, each with its own set of living quarters and specialized traps. Everything was marble, silver, gold, precious stones, or rare wood that looked like it had just been cleaned and gleamed with a sheen that made any wood or stone worker envious. It was a place fit for a King, or a Angel for that matter.

"How do you know where the traps are?" asked Carrot quietly, being directly behind Lee with Tira right behind him. "I mean, the tiles all look the same, the walls don't show any trap doors and neither door the floor. How can you tell?"

"Since I opened the door with the key, all the regular traps along this path of walk are disabled. However, the moment we reach the dais in the middle of the mansion, it will re-lock and all the traps will be remobilized."

"How much longer will it take?" They went up a short flight of stairs, turning several times at the top, seemingly going in a circle until they reached a small, round room.

"Oh, not long at all." In the middle of the room was a shaft of light, in which was a long, golden rod. About four feet in length, it gleamed in the light with a ball set in one end and a white stone the other, Studs ran part of the way down from each end, leaving about foot's worth of room for a white handgrip of the finest leather.

"Whoa," whispered Carrot, looking at it with wide eyes. "I can't believe that's what all the fuss is about. I mean, it's really nice and all but still..."

"Sometimes huge things come in the most unusual packages," replied Lee, glancing at everyone around the room. "Everyone, go and hide behind each of the curtains that are on the walls that reach to the ground. I will wait for him here, but he doesn't need to know you're still with me just yet. When I give you the signal, charge at him."

"What's the signal?" 

"Too bad it won't do you a lick of good," said a voice from the door. "I already know where they are hidden, Lee Fletcher. Which means, I know how to get rid of them as well as you rather effectively. Good bye."

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

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The Masked Magician had been following them for sometime, staying in the shadows in the Canyon as they defeated the she-werewolves he had prepared for them and as Gateau battled his way through the Zombie's. Although they knew he had magic, they didn't know what sort.

He had easily passed through the sealed cave entrance and the door that closed behind Gateau, who was the last person in line, and that had been their downfall. He had even arrived just in time to see them position themselves perfectly over the trap doors. And when the moment was right, he had revealed himself to them.

"Ah, just what I was looking for," he said mockingly, "So nice of you to lead me here, Lee Fletcher." Lee was suspended in midair before the Angel Rod. On his way up to get it, The Masked Magician threw him a smirk and plucked it from the air with ease.

"Even with the Angel Rod, Terrance, you cannot leave here until you kill all of us," taunted Lee, trying to buy his friends and sisters some time.

The room began to glow with a golden light as he began to change, wings coming from his back and horns from his head. His clothes changed to black and white, the two colors almost competing for the space, but never intermingling with one another.

"It doesn't matter what you say," replied the new Terrance floating before him. "I will still win this day."

"You're a demon!" cried Lee, his eyes wide as he tried to hide the fear that flooded over him. "The horns is enough to prove it. At one time, you may've been human, but you no longer even have a soul, do you?"

"Very observant, Fletcher," replied Terrance as if Lee's name were something from the trash heap that had been there for days.

"It will reject you," continued Lee. "The Rod can only be kept forever by one who had a soul, but you are part of the darkness and don't have one, do you? That will be it, Terrance, without the Rod you will fall."

"By who? Those pathetic humans you brought with you?" sneered Terrance, or at least what was left of him. "I dare you, take your best shot, any of you. I will win, Angel Rod or not, as you will soon see, Lee Fletcher."

"Put me down and let me try, Terrance. Suspending me here is fighting dirty."

"Agreed."

Lee dropped to the ground and drew his blade, jumping at the demon before him and swinging his blade at it with skill. He was surprised, though, when the blade went right through him leaving not a scratch on his white skin.

"You see, Lee, I can become intangible when ever I wish," sighed Terrance in a bored tone, acting like he was polishing his nails. "Which means *smirk* that your useless hunk of metal won't do a thing against- AAAAAHHHHRRRGG!!!!!"

Lee stood below him with a light shining from his hands, which he held out before him. "You may hold the Angel Rod," he said calmly. "But you will still be hurt by the Ether Light."

Terrance backed away and began to laugh insanely. "Lee, you don't seem to understand something," he said lazily, creating a dark shield about himself. "No matter what you do, I am stronger and will beat you." 

Lee's light increased by a 100 times, blinding him and making Terrance back up even farther. He created an arrow of light and shot it towards the center of Lee's, shattering it permanently as it fell to the ground.

"Oh no..."

"Oh no is right. Good bye."

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!" Lee was consumed in a dark fire, leaving only his clothes and weapons behind as he appeared in a ball in Terrance's hand. "Looks like I did win, little friend. Now I have to go exterminate those other pests you brought with you. Who knows *smirk* this just might be fun..."

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Chocolate fell down into a small chamber, surrounded on all sides by hounds on steroids that looked *very* hungry... That was all she needed to see. Whipping out her wire, she proceeded to trap and kill those within her range as quickly as she could, taking special revenge on the one that tried to take the hat Darling had given her.

"Eh, losers," she sighed, walking out the door into the hallway. Cocking her hat to one side, she continued down the hall in the direction that wasn't a dead end and wondered what she was to do now as she did.

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Marron looked below him and saw several nasty looking spikes sticking out of the ground as he did. Focusing all his energy into one point on a single tone, he landed on a spike and balanced himself there perfectly. After a few minutes of standing there, he wondered what he should do next. If he moved, the spike would go through him and effectively end his life. If he waited and someone found him, he would be vulnerable to their attacks with no way to stop them. Things were not looking good.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed something move near the door. "Hey!" he called, hoping it was someone he knew. "Some help here, please? Just don't leave me hanging here!"

"Huh? Oh, hey Marron," said Chocolate, standing in the doorway. "Need some help?"

"If you don't mind." She sent out a wire and wrapped it around his middle, bringing him back towards her with a snap of his wrist. Landing as calmly and gracefully as he always did, Marron glanced around and smiled slightly.

"Thanks. Where does that lead?"

"To a dead end, which is why I was going this way."

"Oh, ok." And that was they way they went.

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Carrot landed splat in the middle of a large room with nothing in it. "Huh, nothings here," he said, checking around him carefully. "No more trap doors, no mean creatures, just a bare room. Whoop-de-do. Boy, did I get off easy- AHH!" 

He dove to the side to dodge a spike that buried itself in the ground where he had just been. Glancing around once more and still seeing nothing, he shrugged and headed for the door. "Gees, just a single spike? Even with it I got of easy. This is the cheapest trap- AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!"

Carrot was forced to run around and dodge every which way as a whole barrage of spikes came from every direction at him. "AAAAGHHHHH!!!! NO!!!! Not there!!! HEY!! THIS IS SO NOT COOL!!!! AAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!"

At last, he made it to the door with his clothes pretty shredded up and his sword gone from the experience. "Freedom!" he cried, looking around. The one end of the hallway was a dead end, so he went the other direction and hoped for the best. Whistling as he walked, he wondered if there was a banquet hall somewhere where he could get a decent meal before he had to die. Dodging spikes made him hungry, but seeing as how he didn't have any food, he just kept on walking.

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Gateau fell until he hit a pool of water with a _SPLASH!! He swam to the surface and looked around, seeing nothing but an opening in the wall that was probably a door a few yards away. Grunting, he began to swim towards it as fast as he could._

_HISSSS!_

Looking around as he paused for a moment, he saw several shapes glide toward him under the water. "What the- _Sploosh!" He was pulled under by something grabbing his legs as he fought for control to get to the surface once more. Latching onto one of the slimy creatures, he pounded its head until it let go, doing the same with the other._

Breaking the surface once more, he was faced with a huge merman that held a trident in his hands. "Oh, you are so uncute," he said, making a face as the merman. The merman just raised his trident and tried to spear Gateau with it.

Gateau dove under the water and grabbed it as it went by, coming up to the surface again and throwing it at the merman. Satisfied that with a trident through the middle, it wouldn't be coming after him any more, he swam the rest of the way to the opening. Pulling himself through, he saw a dead end and a hallway that actually went somewhere. Deciding he had to find the others and his dear Marron, he set out at a good pace and wondered what would happen next.

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Tira landed in a deep pit, not much light coming from anywhere and an eerie silence filling the area around her. "This is it?" she muttered, going over to one of the sides. "A pit? I'm almost disappointed." She pushed aside a huge cocoon thing in search for some hand grips so she could climb out, but instead found a hole behind it.

Looking in, she saw a spider as large as the creature that had tried to kill her earlier. "AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!" She scrambled away to the other side, seeing another hole in it. With her back to it, she heard the sound of mandibles clicking together from it's dark depths. Shuddering, she went back to the middle of the small area and waited for their first move. Spiders were bad enough when they were small, and these huge ones were just creeping her out to no end.

Seeing that neither one had moved, but stared at her with their eight, glowing eyes, she shrugged and lassoed the first one with her string. Dragging it out into the open, she tied it up in a cocoon and left it there, turning to the second one. Doing the same thing, both huge creatures where soon just lying there defenseless as she sent her string up to an outcropping she saw on the rim. Using it to get her to the top, she flipped over the edge to be confronted by 100's of spiders the size of her hand at the top.

"Oh crap..." Two huge thumps behind her told her the two spiders from below were free and at the top with her. "AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!"

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Chocolate and Marron walked down the hall, coming to a large foyer where a ton of halls met together with a large door on one side, a spider engraved above it. 

"Hey, guys!" said Carrot, coming from a hallway to their left.

"Carrot, you ok, brother?" called Marron, frowning at his brother's clothes as he did.

"Yeah, just had a run in with some flying spikes. And you?"

"I'm fine."

"Oh, Darling! I was attacked by these vicious hounds and I was so afraid that I'd never see you again!" cried Chocolate, glomping herself onto Carrot as fast as she possibly could. "I missed you so much, did you miss me too?"

He was saved by Gateau bounding down the hall to their right, going and hugging Marron. Both brothers wiggled free and stood back to back, helping the other one stay free of their amorous follower.

"Oh, Marron!" gushed Gateau, "I'm so glad to see your beautiful face once more! I was confronted by this hideous beast, and I told him how much uglier he was than you!"

"Uh, that's nice," muttered Marron, backing away even more. "Shouldn't we try and fine-" _SLAM "Tira!" _

She stood there with her back to the Spider engraved door, chest heaving as she bled freely from multiple wounds on her body. "Tira!" cried Carrot, rushing to her side. "What-"

_SMASH!!!_

A hairy leg came through the door right above Tira's head, causing both of them to scramble away as the doors gave way to the multitude of spiders that were coming at them. "AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"Run!" yelled Marron, trying a spell and seeing it didn't work. "Split up if you have to, just keep moving!" He, Chocolate, and Gateau went back down the hall they came from while Tira and Carrot ran for a hallway none of them had been down before.

This was going to be interesting.

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Terrance floated lazily down a hallway, noting the pit of spikes along the way he reminded himself to check their later for any dead bodies. Knowing those fools, one of them would just drop right into it. Hearing the pounding of feat coming towards him and a strange, high pitched screech coming from the same direction, he hid behind a pillar in the shadows and waited to see what would happen next.

Three young people, two guys and a girl, came sprinting down the hall. One of them yelled something about a pit and turned sharply into the room, throwing a wire to a bar at the top. Securing the other two to her, she swung across the room just as the huge spider and all the little ones following it came at them and impaled themselves on the spikes.

"Impressive," muttered Terrance. "There are others, though, I can sense them. Hopefully they will be as much of a challenge, for that pansy Lee was not much fun to play with."

The three young adults landed on the other side and kept going, occasionally glancing back to make sure they still weren't being followed. If they weren't as dumb as he thought them to be, this might actually be more fun then he'd had in a long time...

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Tira and Carrot were still charging down the hall, turning quickly at the first chance and then turning again only to find themselves standing on the edge of a *very* high cliff with nothing below them as far as they could see.

"Oh no...this cannot be happening," groaned Carrot, seeing the Spiders come around the corner at them.

"My sentiments exactly." The pair stood there for a moment, wondering what to do when a line of web was thrown at them. 

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!"

"CARROT!!!!" Tira cursed her luck as she dove after him over the edge, hoping there was something other than hard ground below them in the mists that she could not see. For once in this whole trip, luck was on her side. They hit the water hard enough to break bones, but luckily stayed in piece as they surfaced once more.

"You alright?" asked Carrot, chilled to the bone in the freezing water.

"Yeah...I think so...." She began to swim for shore, dragging herself up on the beach and collapsing there as she waited for him to join here there. He did eventually, laying down next to her in the sand.

"I think....we should .....go find the others...." he gasped, tired from running so hard and then swimming for so long.

"Maybe," replied Tira, starting to feel a little sleepy. "Just let me rest of a second, I'm really tired..."

"Huh? Tira?" Carrot forced himself to get up and roll her over, seeing a bite on her shoulder. "Tira! Tira, don't you dare fall asleep on me here. Tira!"

"What?" she mumbled sleepily, almost completely out. "Just let me sleep, dang it, I'm fine."

"No, you're not," replied Carrot, trying to shake her awake. "Tira, you can't fall asleep like this. Tira! Can you here me?!" Getting no response, he wracked his brain, trying to think of something to do. An idea popped into his head, even though he knew it could get him killed, but he went for it anyways.

Rolling her back on her front, he closed his eyes and put his hand somewhere where it should not have gone. Just as he thought, she sat up straight and pounded him to several feet away, glaring at him as she tried to keep her eyes open.

"What was that for?" she demanded, reaching for her whip. "You'd better start talking fast or I'll-"

"You were bit by one of the spiders," he explained quickly, pointing to her shoulder. "And then you were all sleepy and I did the only thing I could think of to keep you awake. Sorry."

"Couldn't you have just shaken me awake or something?" she groused, getting to her feet and grabbing her spindle of thread. "Instead of...yeah..."

"No, I tried that and you just ignored me," Carrot shot back, taking a few steps forward. "Come on, we need to go before those Spiders- uh oh." He looked up to see the spiders climbing down the walls and heading towards them. "Run!"

"Huh? AAHHH!!!" They ran through the garden that surrounded the lake, trying to lose the spiders in the trees and bushes that surrounded the place. Running by another lake, a huge, snake-like monster reared its head out of the water and went for the Spiders, leaving Tira and Carrot to scramble back to the mansion. 

Looking at the monstrous building before them, it might as well have been a castle, though. Towers reached high into the sky, and a gigantic wall surrounded the garden they were in, unruly and run over with weeds from not being tended over the years.

"Let's take it slow this time," said Tira cautiously, glancing over at Carrot who was keeping his distance.

"Yeah, maybe we'll be able to find the others real soon."

"I hope so."

"Think they got free of the spiders?"

"Yeah, and I bet they didn't have to dive off a fifth story window to save their partner."

"Hey!"

"It's true."

"Well, they probably didn't have to wake one of their own up by-"

"Shut up, Carrot."

"Yes, ma'am."

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Chocolate, Marron, and Gateau wandered through the halls, seeing a garden below from one of the windows high above. "Where do you supposed your sister and my brother are?" mused Marron, staying as far away as possible from Gateau.

"Don't know," replied Chocolate. Her eyes flashed as she added, "If she even dares touch my Darling I'll-"

"She's your sister," cut in Marron, giving her an odd look. "Wouldn't you know if they were-"

"He's your brother," cut Chocolate, shooting a glare at him. "And you travel with the two of them. Wouldn't you know?"

"Good point. Has she ever said anything?"

"She refuses to comment on it, though she sometimes denies it vehemently."

"Isn't that a big word for you?" asked Gateau.

"Muscle head."

"So?"

"Grrr..."

Marron walked ahead of the two, ignoring the glares they sent at each other as they walked. Glancing to his right, he noticed a huge door through which a sopping wet and very dirty Tira and Carrot emerged. "Hey!" he called out, easily getting their attention.

"Hey, bro," replied Carrot, getting glomped on again by Chocolate despite the fact that he was really messy.

"What happened?" Marron asked Tira since Carrot was busy with Chocolate. "I mean, how did you guys get all wet and dirty like that?"

"We had to jump out of one of the top windows, well your brother fell and I dived after him, into the lake (which we did not see at the time) and dragged ourselves to the shore for a moment. The spiders came, and we started running again, only to have them be taken care of by the Lochness monster which lives in the other lake in the garden."

"I see." He looked around, seeing a pool of water coming from a fountain near by. "Why don't you go clean up over there while I get Carrot free and then he can use it."

"Fine." She watched the tiles as she walked, noticing that a few were taller than others and avoided those, as she made her way over to. The water was warm, and she was soon relaxing in it as she cleaned off the dirt and blood that was caked on her skin. Checking the bite she had gotten, she used her hands to probe it gently. Finding it to be swollen and red, she adjusted the straps of her outfit so it didn't rub against it anymore and got out. 

Using her cloak to dry herself (we're not sure where it came from, but it was there) she let Carrot have the pool and started to walk way. "Hang on a sec," said Carrot, grabbing her arm. "I am sorry about earlier. You're not mad at me, are you?"

"Where is Carrot and what have you done with him?" asked Tira immediately. Carrot opened him mouth to protest, but she smiled and shook her head. "No, I'm not mad at you. Just keep your hands to yourself from now on, ok?"

"Do I have to?"

"Carrot!"

"Just kidding, just kidding!"

"Just go, Carrot."

"Fine."

"What was that all about?" asked Chocolate, raising an eyebrow suspiciously as Tira sat next to her. Tira shrugged.

"Nothing."

"Yeah, sure it was."

"Chocolate...."

"I'll be watching you sister. You'd better keep your hands off my darling, or else I'll-"

"AAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!" Everyone turned to see Carrot leap out of the now boiling hot water that poured from the fountain, scalding burns covering his body.

"Ouch..." Marron quickly did what he could with his eastern magic and healing skills as Tira watched in the background, wondering if she should use what she knew to help him.

"What are you thinking about?" asked Chocolate quietly, seeing Tira stare at her Darling openly. "You aren't going to-"

"Should I use the healing touch on him or not?" cut in Tira, looking at her sister from the corner from her eye. "You know, zelkova."

"Um, I don't know. Why?"

"He's in pain, Chocolate. Since you're the one madly in love with him, you tell me whether or not I should heal him."

Chocolate looked between her Darling and her sister for a moment, struggle obvious on her face until she sighed and shrugged. "Heal him," she replied, trying to sound indifferent. "He's no use to us like this."

Tira smiled. "As you wish, sister." She walked over to Carrot, who was lying face down on the floor whimpering beside his brother who was trying to make him as comfortable as possible. Placing her hands on his shoulders, she whispered, "Don't move. This won't hurt, just don't do anything or Chocolate will have my head." Bowing her head, she remember what Marron's mother had taught her, what she knew of zelkova....

There was a small flash of light as Carrot's burns melted away, leaving bits of red where they had been. He flexed his arms gently, finding the pain was gone and he could move once more.

"Better?" asked Tira, helping him to his feet.

"Yeah," replied Carrot, smiling at her. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." She smiled back at him, but glanced at her sister after she and nodded at her as well.

"Tira?" asked Marron quietly, drawing her to the side. "Why didn't you use zelkova on yourself? I mean with a bite like that..."

"I can't," replied Tira, giving him a sad look. "I can heal others, but not myself."

"I see."

"Let's go," said Gateau, sensing another presence near by. "We need to find our way to the main room before things get too ugly."

"He's right," admitted Carrot as he stretched out some, trying to ignore the growl that came from her stomach. "Let's go." 

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Lee sat in the middle of the small, cramped orb he was stuck in, wondering if the Misu sisters would get him out anytime soon. He couldn't hear or see anything, but by the way that mists revolved around him he could tell where his boundaries were and didn't wish to see what lay in store for him if he touched them.

A demon. Of all things for this to be...he hadn't been one before, Lee was sure of that. The only problem was: what now? He was stuck here, the others were out there. They didn't know what Terrance was and the distruction he could cause at this point. They were basically sitting ducks, which lead him back to his earlier question: what now? 

Lee sat back and sighed, wishing it had been that idiot Carrot who was stuck in here instead of him. If only he knew what was going to happen next...

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There's your chapter number two. Hopefully it'll load the right way the first time. The first chapter should be fixed, if not I'll load it again until it is, k? Please be kind and review, I stayed up late after a long day at band camp to finish this for you.

~crosseyedbutterfly~


	3. The End

Moshi Moshi!

This will be the third, and final, part of Hidden Forest. Thanks for reading this mini fic of mine, I do hope you've enjoyed it. I'd like to have at least one more review for this, considering I only have two and one of them is from me, so be nice and do that for me, will you?

And one more thing, this # indicates a dream, k? 

Thanks a million! Now go finish the fic!

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The ragged group of Sorcerer Hunters walked cautiously down the hall, worn to the bone from the several traps they had encountered. First, there was a hook that caught on Gateau's sleeve, causing several rabid bunnies to come out of nowhere and start chasing them. 

While trying to escape the rabid bunnies, Marron, tripped over a wire that triggered the release of the killer wasps. 

While trying to escape from the bunnies and  swat away the killer wasps that she was allergic to, Chocolate stepped on a tile that opened a huge door beneath them and dropped them and the bunnies and the wasps into a pit of snakes. 

While they were trying to climb away from the snakes, Carrot grabbed a lever in the wall and pulled it down, generating several spikes from the walls that came at the snakes, rabbits, wasps, and humans alike. 

While everyone was dodging the spikes, Tira (in her weakened state, the poison from the bite was slowly working its way through her blood stream) couldn't jump high enough, so she grabbed another lever that stopped the spikes but instead began to fill the pit with acid. 

They had then scrambled to the top, leaving the snakes, bunnies, and wasps to die, and barely made it out before the trap door closed one more. That was where they were now, making their way down the long halls and wondering if they would ever see anything other than this place again.

"I'm really getting sick of this place!" cried Carrot as they dodged a rain of arrows that one of them had triggered on accident. "Isn't there someway we can just get back to that middle room without going through all these death traps!"

"As a matter of fact, there is," came a disembodied voice, making them shiver as it twisted and turned around them.

"Terrance," muttered Carrot, glancing around him constantly.

"Yes, that's right, Carrot," replied the emotionless voice. They could tell he was smirking at them without even seeing him. "I'll make you a deal. I want to fight you, you'll be more of a challenge than that pathetic Lee ever will be and I need the practice. You want to destroy me, but you need to get to a place where neither of us will be plagued by these infernal traps. I will take you to the middle room *if* you will trust me enough to let me do so."

"How do we know that you won't just take and drop us somewhere in another trap?" asked Chocolate suspiciously. "You've given us little reason to trust you, Terrance. One being that you've probably killed Lee, haven't you?"

"Not at all," replied the voice, a small glass ball appearing before them. "See? He is safe in there, that is until I release him again."

"Let him go!" screamed Tira, leaping forward. She ran into a force field he had put up around it, crumpling to the ground in shock.

"Well, this isn't much fun so I'll just take you to the middle room anyways," said the voice, a mist forming around them.

"Hey!" shouted Gateau angrily. "We never agreed to this!"

"Do I sound like I care?"

"You should!"

"Pathetic."

"Bastard."

"That's right, I am. Want to make something of it?"

"..."

"That's what I thought."

They wound up right where they had started, the room plain and simple compared to everything else they had seen in the huge mansion. Quickly getting their bearings, they saw Terrance standing in the middle of the room waiting for them, completely decked out in all the Forbidden Magics he had stolen with the helmet under his arm so they could see him.

"I don't need this any more," he said loftily, taking the helmet and setting it before him. "Watch." Lifting the angel rod high in the sky, he shouted in some foreign language and pointed it at the helmet, destroying it to a pile of dust. Smiling confidently, he took off the amulet that let him control all creatures and the bracelet that made him super fast with the ability to fly. Tossing them beside what was left of the helmet, he fried them as well. "That should even up the odds a bit."

"Pride is man's downfall," said Marron calmly, eyeing him as he did.

"I know," replied Terrance with a grin. "But, I am not a man."

"You were at one time."

"But what I once was I am no longer."

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Carrot, glaring at the man. "What are you trying to tell us here?"

"Watch and learn." Terrance stood there for a moment, closing his eyes as he did. A strange hum began to fill the room, Marron's eyes widening as he realized what was happening.

"Does that mean what I think it means?" asked Tira quietly as Terrance began to transform.

"Yes," replied Marron. "He is a soulless human without honor who has sold himself to the dark side, a demon."

"So nice of you to notice," replied the new Terrance. His hair had turned white and flowed down his back, covering his taunt hide that was coated with scales. Spikes protruded from his forehead, shoulders, neck, hands and feet; and fangs took the place of what had once been teeth. "Now, I have to kill you. But it won't be me who does it, it will be one of your own."

Tira's eyes snapped as she fell to her knees, her eyes turning completely white. "No!" she cried, fighting him with everything she had. "You can't have me! No!" Terrance frowned as he realized he was getting no where, despite the fact that the girl had been poisoned by the spiders she was still able to resist him.

"No matter," he shrugged, retreating from her mind. "I'll just kill you myself." Twirling the angel rod in his hands, he shouted in that foreign language again and shot lightning bolts at them as they ran around the room dodging them and trying to get to him.

"Hey, aren't those magic?" cried Gateau, barely being missed by one. 

"Yeah, so?" asked Carrot.

"THEN WHY THE HECK DON'T YOU JUST LET YOURSELF GET HIT BY ONE AND TRANSFORM HERE????!!!!" X_X

"Oh....that's a good idea!!" ^_^

"..." -_-;; 

Tira glanced at him, a wild look in her eyes. "Just do it already!"

"I'm working on it....got it!" Terrance's expression went from glee, to surprise, to a sneer in about 5 seconds as he realized what had happened.

"So he's the god of destruction?" said the demon wryly. "Oh well. With the dark magic, he's become unstable and won't know you from me in this form. I hope you're prepared for something like this."

"Did we know this?" asked Chocolate, backing away as Carrot transformed.

"Uh...no..."

"Crap."

"Oh, yeah."

Tira whipped off her cape like always, her glasses disappearing as she stood before them and him. "What are you doing?" asked Marron, grabbing her arm.

 "I'm going to stop him," replied Tira. "I staked my life on him once, and I'll do it again. If he didn't kill me that time, he won't now."

"But you..."

"No, Marron," replied Tira, turning to him as Carrot's transformation was complete. "I *am* doing this. Keep the other back, I don't want you guys to get hurt."

"....fine." He went back to the others, grabbing Chocolate as she tried to get past him to help her sister.

"Hey, why are you-"

"Tira's the one who does this the most," replied Marron. "And I trust her to save him right now. But if someone else interferes....last time she was able to do it on her own. All we can hope is that she can do it again."

"Then you're saying all I could end up doing is getting us all killed?" 

"Um, yeah." Seeing the look on her face, he added, "But so could any of us who tried to help her."

-_-*  

Marron edged away as they watched Tira approach Carrot, him already destroying part of the wall in his path. Terrance was watching as well, a small smile on his face as he did. %She is confident that she can save him% he thought to himself, musing over the facts as he did. %All of them seem to be close, some are even family. But these two...not brother and sister, not lovers in the way that most people see them, not ever friends on some levels....but still there is a strong bond there....%

Tira jumped up, laughing like she always did with that crazy light in her eyes. "Ho Ho Ho!!! Here, little doggie! *snap* It's time to play! *whiz-crack!* HOHOHO!!!!"

"RRRRROOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!" Carrot, apparently, didn't like the thought of being her playmate as he charged toward her, his eyes ice cold and just as hard. Tira faltered slightly as she jumped up into the air, hoping to pass just over that huge clawed paw speeding toward her....

*gasp*

*slice*

"AAAAAAAHhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"That was not supposed to happen that way..."

"TIRA!!!"

Gateau physically restrained Chocolate from rushing to help her sister by locking her arms behind her only because of the fact that Carrot was still raging on over head, howling his victory to the heavens as he raised his gigantic clawed hand to give the final blow...

"Carrot..." The huge monster went silent along with everyone else, it's eyes dilating as he slowly began to lower his hand... "Carrot....I know that's you in there....if you can't stop yourself, I understand.... I won't hold it against you....if you kill me...."

"GGGGGGGRRRRRRRRAAAAAA.................." The beast raised his paw once again, then lowered it, struggling with his options. Terrance watched all this with faint amusement, figuring he had all the time in the world to spare. If the beast in his won out and killed her, well, one less for him to take care of. If he was able to control himself and change back, well, he would have one almost out for the count and one less huge beast to worry about.

Carrot shrunk and returned back to normal after several more minutes, Tira continuing to lie below his shadow and bleed from the massive gash he had given her. It ran from her shoulder to her hip, and pouring out her blood like water as she just laid there on the floor.

"Tira!" he cried, seeing his pants and throwing them on, rushing to her side as soon as he was decent. Marron was there already, placing some of his slips of paper on her wound to stop it from bleeding and give it some sort of protective covering with his  magic. "Tira, I'm sorry," said Carrot in a half-sob, grabbing her hand as he knelt by her side. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to..."

"Shh," replied Tira, opening her eyes some. "You didn't know what you were doing, I understand." She reached up and touched his face, closing her eyes and sighing as Marron finished his work.

"There," he said quietly, putting back was slips of paper he had. "Does it still hurt?"

Tira winced. "A bit..."

Terrance watched all this, smirking as he realized something. "Have you forgotten about me?" he called suddenly, letting the wire Chocolate threw at him pass harmlessly through him.

"Die, demon," growled Chocolate. "You just hurt my little sister. And by the unofficial code of big sisters, that means you have to die!"

"It wasn't me who hurt your sister," said Terrance lightly. "It was your little friend over there who got out of control."

"It was you who made him that way!"

"Hm....so it was. And now it looks like I'm going to do the same with your little sister." Reaching once more for Tira's mind, he found the poison plus the gash in her side had weakened her even more, making her ripe for the picking.

%Here, little girl, come to papa% He said to her mentally, grasping control before she could do anything about it. Tira broke from of Marron's grasp, who had been helping her back to the edge of the room behind the others, and ran to the middle, taking her string and whip back out.

"Do you like my new ally?" asked Terrance, smirking as he spread out his wings and held the angel rod over head, saying something else they didn't understand. What they did understand was that several huge, bat-like creatures with fangs, including a enormous one that came through the skylight above, appeared out of nowhere and began to attack them.

"Don't mess with me," growled Chocolate, taking several out at once with her wires. "I'm a sister on a mission for revenge." Gateau just swung his fists and bashed the brains out of anything that got too close to him. Marron used his Eastern magic to turn so to stone and trap others in ice as his brother just dodged the attacks beside him.

What was not helping them any was that more and more were appearing out of this air and Tira was directing the creatures at them. Telling them ways to get past the Sorcerer Hunter's defenses, things ordinary people or monsters or demons wouldn't know. And it was seriously working to their disadvantage....

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Tira found herself inside a huge space, not sure of where she was or what had happened. Carrot had sliced her side open, changed back, then apologized. Marron had closed up the wound as best he could, then had been helping her back when....

"Terrance," she said out loud, glaring at the shadows as if they could produce them for her. Luckily, they did.

"I see you've finally made it," he said, stopping just a few steps across from her in his demon form.

"Where am I?" she demanded, taking the defensive position.

"You're on the plane of mentality," explained Terrance. "This is what physic beams and messages pass through, but its also a place where people power enough trap others minds..."

"Eh? What did you do to me?!"

"Take a look and see." Terrance waved his hand and part of the shadows disappeared, showing what was going on in the middle room right then.

"No!" she cried, seeing herself directing a hoard of creatures against her friends. "Why?! Let me go, you can't do this to me! To them!"

"Yeah I can," replied Terrance with a smirk, bringing the angel rod into view. "Now all I have to do is kill you here, then your body will be mine to use as I wish forever. Which will be to let you die on the mortal plane as well, but that's just a small matter at the moment..."

He lashed out at her with a lightning bolt, causing her to jump back in surprise. "So it's a matter of live and keep my soul or die and let you have it, right?" she said loftily, throwing off her cloak and reaching for her whip and string, which had somehow come with her.

"Pretty much, my little lady."

"Then bring it on." Tira jumped around, dodging most of the bolts as she tried to get close to him. A few, though, were able to barely hit her and soon she was covered with burns that screamed in pain. Her leather outfit had been burned in places as well, and she doubted she would ever stop smelling like smoke ever again.

"Getting tired, are we?" mocked Terrace, throwing one straight at her as she paused for a moment. Tira grunted as she dove to the side, leaving her stomach open. "HA!"

"AAAHH!!" Tira lay flat out on the ground as he danced about her, lashing her with his tail as she wearily tried to block it with her arms. "Stop..." she moaned softly, tears falling from her eyes. "Just leave me alone."

"Not so tough, now are we?" sneered Terrance, truly enjoying his game. "Now for the final blow!" Creating a huge lightning bolt in his hands, he stood over her and laughed until it was just the right size and sent it raining down on her.

Doing the only thing she could think to do, she raised her whip and caught it, sending it back at his chest.

"I see you've figured out that this plane doesn't work like the mortal one," sighed Terrance, dusting the ash from his fur that had gotten scorched. "No matter, I will still defeat and kill you."

"You have a one track mind, don't you?" she growled as she forced herself to stand once more. Tira Misu gave into no one if she still had the ability to breath.

"Try three. Kill. Destroy. Conquer."

"I see..." She swung her whip at him, hoping against all hope...caught him! Terrance laughed as she nabbed him around the neck, merely biting through the rawhide and spiting it out in front of him.

"You have made for an interesting battle," admitted Terrance, smiling all the more. "But, I'm afraid you time had run up, little one. I cannot stay here and play games with you forever. Good-bye." He raised his arms above his head, the angel rod in his right hand as he began to chant in a strange language and glow with a red light.

Tira steeled herself for whatever was coming next, hoping she could dodge it or block it in someway. Keeping her eyes on Terrance, she noticed the angel rod had begun to glow white instead of red, burning the flesh that held it as Terrance stubbornly tried to keep a hold of it...but couldn't and let fly from his hands in anger.

She caught it, staring at it for a moment as Terrance waited for the fireworks show that was to begin. No mortal could hold the rod and live, that was the way the legend had been written ever since the beginning of time. But she didn't implode on herself and Terrance was wondering if he was going out of his mind.

"Why aren't you dead?" he snarled, leaping at her with his claws extended. "You should be dead by now! If the angel rod won't kill you, I will!" Slashing at her, he tried to reach for her neck, only to be blown back by a light that came out of nowhere!

"I'm not dead," explained Tira calmly. "Because I have an immortal soul." She glared at him as she transformed, growing wings with feathers and her clothes becoming white robes instead of the torn and burnt leather suit she was wearing. Her burns and scratches healed instantly, leaving no trace that they had once marred her skin.

"The reincarnated Goddess of the West," hissed Terrance, shielding his eyes from the light. "Of all the-"

"Die."

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" The demon was ripped to shreds as a beam of light shot through him, completely incinerating the creature until nothing else remained but the light...

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Marron wiped the sweat from his eyes as him and the other three stood back-to-back, trying to just stay alive at this point. The bat things had multiplied by the moment until it seemed futile to even try to fight back. Tira's insane laughter filled the back ground, filling their ears to the point of nearly driving them over the edge.

"How can she laugh that long and not have to breath?" asked Gateau angrily, knocking out two more with one blow.

"How does any evil guy or girl do it?" replied Carrot, using his sword to take off anything that got too close. "I think it's something that comes naturally to those who are insanely evil."

"Are you saying my sister is insanely evil?" demanded Chocolate, glaring at him over her shoulder as she took out one more with her wire.

"No," he replied quickly. "I'm saying the guy who's controlling her is insanely evil."

"..." =_=

"What?"

"Don't remind me."

^_^;; "Sorry..."

Marron blinked as the beast in front of him disappeared. "What the..."

"Hey!" cried Gateau as his fist went through thin air. "What's going on here..."

The insane laughter stopped, followed by the sound of glass breaking and something hitting the floor with a 'THUD!'

"What just happened?" asked Chocolate, not seeing a single bat in sight. 

"Look," said Carrot softly from behind her, pointing to where the insane and possessed Tira had been standing. There stood an angel with pink hair with her back to them, feather floating around her from her wings and the angel rod in her hands.

"What have you done with my sister?!" cried Chocolate, rushing at the being all dressed in white. "If you killed her, I swear I'll send you to hell and back..."

"Huh?" The angel turned around, looking at them with her large, brown eyes that seemed very familiar...

"Tira?" asked Marron, walking up to her first.

"Yeah," she replied, looking down at herself. "Shoot. I thought it was going to turn back when I came back to this plane."

"What are you talking about?" asked Carrot, looking very confused. "I don't see a plain anywhere around here..."

"Not that sort of plane, idiot," replied Gateau, giving him a light smack on the head that sent him crashing into the wall. 

"Why do you get wings and I don't?" asked Chocolate, frowning for a second.

"It's good to see you too, sis," said Tira wryly, wrinkling her nose. 

"Hey!" said someone to their right. "Could someone get me my clothes..." They turned to see Lee standing behind a pillar in only his boxers and looking rather red. "Hey! So Big Momma did send one of her angels to- TIRA?!" He came out from behind the pillar, only to go right back behind it as he remembered he wasn't wearing anything. "Crap. You'd better explain what's going on the minute I get out from the back of here!!"

"I will," replied Tira, giving him a small smile. Averting her eyes while Carrot gave him his clothes, she sighed and sat down on the ground to think for a minute.

"How's that wound doing?" asked Marron, sitting in front of her.

"What wound- oh!" She reached over and touched where it had been, realizing she hadn't felt anything since she had appeared on the other plane. "I...I think it's gone..." She opened her robes near her waist, seeing a very thin, pink mark.

"Whoa," whispered Marron, touching it for a moment to make sure it was real before standing back up. "I know that I didn't do that..."

"You're sure?" asked Tira, standing back up as well. "I mean, those card-things you used were pretty powerful..."

"Explain to me how you can stand there and hold that rod without dying and no one here seems too surprised," demanded Lee, appearing in front of her. "This is not something that could just be a complete fluke here..."

"I'm....the one who holds the reincarnated Mother of the West's soul. You know, Apros."

"WHAT?!" Lee stumbled back and grabbed onto the first steady thing around him (Carrot) and held on for dear life. "You....no, that can't be.....that's....impossible...." Looking at everyone, he added weakly, "Right?"

"Um, not exactly, said Chocolate slowly, having put her cape-thingy back on. "You see, I hold the Holy Demon Kurin's soul."

"And you?" asked Lee, pointing at Marron. 

"Uh....Lord of Rebirth, Yaksha's soul."

"You?" He looked at Gateau.

"North Sky Karl Man's soul."

"Let me guess," he said wryly, looking at Carrot. "You hold the God of Creation's soul, right?"

"Nope," replied Carrot. "I'm the God of Destruction."

"Wha...." *whump*

"How long do you think he'll be out?" asked Gateau, hauling the man upright so it looked like Lee was standing 

"I'd say just a few seconds," replied Chocolate, dumping a pitcher of cold water from somewhere on his head.

"Ah!! Wha- huh?" 

"Just nod your head and smile, Lee," said Tira gently, patting his head like he was a dog. "That's a good big brother."

"So you guys seriously are the ones who took out Sacher?" asked Lee, shaking his head. "I didn't believe it at first." Seeing both Tira and Chocolate reach for their weapons, he went on and quickly explained himself. "I mean, I believed what you said but the stories tell of five as strong as the gods. Not that you aren't strong! But, well, you know..."

"Just hush and take it like it is," said Chocolate, punching him in the shoulder. "That's what big bro's are supposed to do, right?"

"I guess so."

"So," said Gateau, looking at the doors which all held traps of one sort or another. "How do we get out of here again?"

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Lee laughed to himself as he remember the looks on everyone's faces when he summoned Unicorns to come and get them. Those beautiful beasts with their white horns and angelic wings, it almost felt wrong to even touch them. But after conversing with the creatures for a few moments (yes, they can speak) they had agreed that it was alright and had gotten ready to leave.

Tira had taken the forbidden magics that were left and destroyed them with the angel rod, leaving only it to rule the valley. And with no one left alive who knew how to make copies of them or find a way to be immortal so they could use the angel rod, it would be safe in the mansion where it belonged.

The moment she had replaced the rod to its original place her wings shrunk and her clothes returned to normal, all clean and fresh as if she had just washed them instead of fought a battle for her life. Being withdrawn and quiet for the rest of trip home, Lee glanced at her as he noted absently that they were a few minutes from the camp. This wasn't unusual for her, but he noticed that something wasn't right as he looked into her faraway eyes and could see something that she wasn't telling anyone about.

Carrot zoomed past him suddenly, causing Marron (who was trying to get away from Gateau) to nearly fall from his mount as his younger brother tried to escape from Chocolate. 

"Hey, knock it off!" cried Carrot, the unicorn he was riding not helping him much.   
"Can't you just leave me alone?"

"Why would I?" asked Chocolate, surrounded by hearts and giving him puppy eyes as she clung to him. "You are my one true love, Darling."

"GAhh!!! Will you quit that?"

"Don't you love me, Darling?"

"No, I don't!"

"Aw, he's playing hard to get."

-_-;;  "No, he's playing never to get," muttered Carrot, turning his back on her.

0.o "Huh?"

x_x "Never mind."

^_^ "Ok, darling!"

Lee shook his head, wondering what else would happen as they landed in the clearing they had slept at the night before. 

"Lee," said a Unicorn, a male named Rapidash that he had been riding, "Do you need us to do anything else before we leave?"

"No, Rapidash," he replied, giving the Unicorn a pat on the head. "That's all. Thank you very much, though."

"Our pleasure, Lee."

"Why don't they call you 'Master' like the rest of the animals and creatures here?" asked Marron as they disappeared into the forest.

"They are too human, in a way, and too free-willed to ever be put under that sort of servitude," explained Lee, shrugging his shoulders. "We are on an equal plane, where I ask them for favors occasionally and heal them when they are hurt."

"So, its like your friends?"

"Um, not exactly in the sense that..."

"FOOD!!!!!!!!!"

Lee sweated as Carrot dove into the feast Daughter had brought for them, spotting her in a near by tree. "Hello," he said, waving at her. "A message from Big Mama?"

"Yep," she replied, flying down before him. "She said to say that if you made it back alive, you get at least a week off before you have to come back to work."

"Me or them?" asked Lee, giving her a smile. 

"Them," she replied. "They do deserve it after all, right?"

"I guess so..."

"Oh! And she told me to give you this." Daughter pulled out a package from behind her back and handed it to him, winking as soon as it was out of her hands. "Ja ne!"

"Huh?"

*poof*

"She left already?" asked Tira, standing beside him quietly as he stared at the package.

"I guess so."

"Are you going to open it?"

"It came from Big Mama, so it would probably be a smart thing to do all things considered..." He undid the string and carefully removed the brown paper wrapping, revealing a brand new quiver and bow made just for him. Lee breathed in sharply, holding them away from him for a moment, looking like he just might burn these like he did his original ones.

"They've been made to match Zadah's sword," said Tira gently, taking them from his hands to show him what she meant. Seeing him tense up even more, she sighed and handed them back to him. "You have to forgive yourself sometime," she said, looking at the bow and arrows instead of him. "I have. Chocolate has. Zadah has. All that is left is you." She walked away and sat by the fire that had been made between the two platforms, picking up a loaf of bread from the pile and eating it slowly.

He restrained the urge to break the arrows right then and there and placed them on the edge of the camp, going and getting a bite to eat himself. Carrot was still going through pie after plate of pasta after bowl of soup after bowl of noodles and so forth until it looked like he might explode.

"Where does he put it all?" Lee asked Marron as he sat beside him. 

"The same place Chocolate does," he replied, pointing at the older Misu sister who was keeping par with him as far as dishes they had gone through.

"In other words, you don't know?"

"No. They eat until they're full, which is why Tira calls them bottomless pits and has to buy extra food every time we join up as a team."

Lee glanced over at Tira in surprise, who had put the bread down and was nibbling on a bowl of noodles. "You mean the two sisters don't stay together?"

"No, she comes with me and Carrot," explained Marron, indicating Tira with his chopsticks. "She goes with Gateau." He pointed at Chocolate. "Don't ask why, because none of us know."

"I see."

**three hours later**

Carrot got up and belched loudly, stretching as he did. "Wow, am I full," he murmured, sitting back down and laying back against a tree. "I think I'll just stay here and....zzzz......zzzz....."

"He's out for the night," sighed Marron, shaking his head fondly at his brother's actions. "I think that's a record for him or something, 3 hours straight eating."

"Well, we were in that Labyrinth of a Mansion for 3 days..."

"3 DAYS????"

"Yeah, 3. You just couldn't tell because for the majority of the time we were inside."

"I guess you're right..."

"'Night everyone," yawned Chocolate, getting up and heading over to her platform. "I'm going to sleep."

"Ok, 'night."

"Good night little sis." Lee leaned back against the log that he was using as a back rest and sighed. "Hey," he said after a moment. "Where did Gateau get off to?"

"He's up there asleep," replied Marron. "And I'm not going up there until you do."

"Why?"

"Because I won't have my brother to sleep between us tonight."

"Why?"

"Because he's down here and I'm not dragging him up there."

"Why not?"

"Too tired."

"Oh, then you want me to sleep in the middle?"

"Um, yeah?"

"Fine."

"Thanks."

"I understand."

"Which is a good thing."

"Have you guys seen Tira?" called Chocolate from the platform to their right. "She's not up here and I don't see her down here."

"Hang on," said Lee, getting up and going around to the other side of the fire where the feast of food had been. "She's right here, asleep behind this pile of used bowls."

"Thanks."

"No problem." Lee picked her up and set her across from Carrot to their right, making sure she was comfortable for the night before he walked over to the ladder to the guys platform, looking back at Marron expectantly.

"You coming?" he asked, tilting his head some.

"I guess," replied Marron, getting up and following him up the ladder. Soon, all that could be heard through out the camp were little z's floating through the air as everyone quickly fell asleep.

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# She ran, for that was all she could do at this point. Spiders. Bats. Werefolk. Demons. Why? Why were they after her? Why were they chasing her like this...

A huge leg came out of nowhere, trying to stomp her into the ground as she dodged back and forth wearily. Tired. So tired. Just wanted to rest, just wanted to-

NNNNOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!! 

There is was again! The cries of her friends, calling her to help them, to save them...save them from what? She didn't know what she was facing. Or who was after them and her. 

Everything vanished into a black hole....the cries of those tortured flying around her....the smell of blood in the air....and his face in the distance leering over his victory...#

"AHH!" Tira sat up suddenly, drenched in sweat as she pushed off her cape and fixed her glasses which were just at the tip of her nose. Panting for air, she swept her wet bangs out of her eyes and leaned forward some, covering her face with her hands as she quietly began to cry.

"Hhhmmm....." Carrot woke from his dream of dancing fairies in tight spandex suits and sat up, glancing around to see Tira curled up across from him on the other side of the fire. Noticing that her shoulders were shaking slightly, he got up and walked over as he blinked the fuzz out of his eyes. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he was surprised to see her shirk from his touch and frowned all the more.

"Tira," he said gently, kneeling beside her. "Tira, what's wrong?" She looked up, still sobbing as their eyes met. She didn't say anything, didn't try to explain what was going on or act like nothing was wrong, she just sat there and looked at him as she cried.

So, he did the only thing he could think of to do, he gave her a hug. Tira didn't even notice it at first as the memories caught back up with her again and she tried to cry them from her mind. Burying her head in his shoulder, he gently stroked her hair until her sobs began to go away again and she got a hold of herself once more.

"Are you ok?" he asked as she suddenly pulled away from him, curling in on herself once more. 

"I guess," she replied weakly, trying to banish the memories from her mind. Seeing some left over food from the night before, both their stomachs growled at the same time, causing Carrot to laugh out loud.

"Whether or not you are, I can tell you're hungry, so lets eat!" he said.

"I should probably go wash my face," said Tira softly, starting to stand up. Carrot helped her the rest of the way and gave her another hug, which surprised her.

"Don't take long," he said, sitting back down. "I eat fast and there may not be anything left."

"I know," she replied, giving him a small smile. She secured her cape completely around herself and went to the stream, washing away any signs that she had been crying before she went back and sat beside him.

What surprised them both was that she was soon keeping pace with him as he ate.

"Eat much last night?" he asked around a mouthful of fish, giving her skeptical look.

"Not really," she replied quietly, downing a bowl of soup in one gulp. "I wasn't feeling up to it..."

"Oh." They both continued to eat on for a few minutes when Lee landed beside them on the ground, having jumped from the platform above.

"Save some for me!" he said, taking out his chopsticks and attacking a bowel of ramen noodles with beef.

"Hey, I was going to eat that!" growled Tira, taking a bite from him.

"Hey! I was going to eat that bite!" growled Lee back, snatching some meat off of the chicken leg she was devouring.

"Thief!"

"So are you!"

"Man, you two fight a lot," observed Carrot, about to start a plate of little sausage things, not noticing the glance that went between the two 'siblings'.

"HA!!" They knocked him aside and devoured the plate of sausage things before he could blink giving him a self-satisfied smirk at the same time.

"Hey!! You are so going to pay for- ah!! Save some for me!!!"

"You ate more than all of us combined last night! You don't need anymore!! And neither do you Chocolate!!" said Lee, seeing her about to pounce on a cake to his right. "That is *so* mine!!"

"You'll have to beat me too it first, bro!"

"Then I will!!" While they were racing for the cake, Marron jumped down and took a bowl of noodles, taking it up in a tree near by with him to eat.

"If there's nothing left when I get down there, there will be pain!" yelled Gateau from the top of his platform. Seeing as how everyone ignored him, he jumped down and grabbed some for himself, only to be caught between Tira and Carrot who were fighting for the last pork roll. Seeing as how he couldn't get free, he took it and popped it in his mouth before rushing off into relative safely else where. Or that's what he thought he was doing.

Tira and Carrot shared a glance a nodded. "ATTACK!!!!!!!!!"

Marron smiled watching everyone fight as they always did over food, only this time it was fairly violent. "And so the morning begins."

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"So, what do you guys want to do today?" asked Lee after everyone had cleaned up from the food fight they had had a little while ago and sat down to drink some tea like semi-civilized adults.

"How about get back before Big Mama skins us alive?" suggested Carrot, making a face. "All she ever has us do is work, work, work."

"No, she gave you a week vacation here," replied Lee with a smile. "I just couldn't tell you last night or this morning because we were eating and all."

"A week?! YAHOO!!!!!" Carrot jumped up and did this little victory dance thing while the others watched him for a moment.

^_^ "No more work for a whole week! No more work for a whole week! No more work for a whole week! Yeah! Yeah! YEAH!!!"

0.o "Is the human body supposed to be able to do stuff like that? I mean the huge flips and all."

-_- "Is it supposed to be able to eat half-a-ton at one sitting?"

-_-;; "True..."

^_^ "No more work for a whole week! Yeah! Yeah! YEAH!!"

"If you'll stop singing and dancing, we can decide what you guys want to do," said Lee, over his shock of Carrot's ability to do moves that would make a gymnast envious.

"What is there to do other than sit around and eat?" asked Carrot, giving him an odd look as he stopped in mid-dance. "I mean, there's land and animals, that's all, right?"

"Could we go visit Bluwynd and her family again?" asked Tira quietly. "I would like to see her and thank her again for her help."

"Sure," replied Lee with a shrug. "Anything else?"

"Got any Dragons?" asked Chocolate, half joking.

"A whole colony two days walk from here, half a day if we get a ride."

"Really?! Awesome! I wanna go see those!"

"That's fine. What about you Carrot?"

Carrot thought long and hard for a minute, this his eyes got as huge as baseballs. "Do you have any mermaids?" he asked quickly, drooling with anticipation.

"Yep," replied Lee. "But they happen to have an appetite for human flesh, so...we won't be going and seeing those."

"Aw...."

"Anything huge and bold that might like to wrestle me?" asked Gateau, cracking his knuckles meaningfully.

"There's a giant or two and their brood of younglings down near the dragons," affirmed Lee. "We can go see them on the same day."

"Great."

"And you, Marron?"

"I would like to see the white tigers, please, if it is not too much trouble," replied Marron with a smile. "Mum used to tell me legends of them when I was little....it would be seeing those legends come to life to meet one."

"Then it is settled," said Lee. "We will go see all those things and more, starting today. What say we go see Bluwynd's family first, then go on and catch a ride south so that Gateau can wrestle his giant and maybe there'll still be time to see the dragons. If not, we'll do it tomorrow, then head back here."

"I'm good with that," agreed Carrot, jumping up again. "Let's go!"

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Well, the Sorcerer Hunters had a great week of vacation and even learned a thing or two about some of the creatures (like giants are really pansies that cry whenever they stub their toe) but everyone had a wonderful time regardless. Tira got her chance to thank Bluwynd again, and met the rest of the clan which were also winged centaurs. Apparently the wings only show up every other generation or so.

Anyways, Gateau wrestled his giant and won, and Chocolate got to see the Dragons, as well as speak to the head of the clan. Marron spent a whole day talking to the white tigers that inhabited a special ravine just for them and even got a chance to hold one of the new born kittens, something he never thought he would be able to do, let alone see. Carrot didn't get to see the Mermaids, obviously, but Lee did take him to see something just as good....tree nymphs. The small, sweet ladies that wore almost nothing played with him in the forest for three hours while he tried to catch one until Chocolate and Tira got Gateau to drag him out. He really didn't care either way, but figured that Big Mama might be watching and didn't want to get on her bad side after taking this long of a vacation.

So, that was their week, and when it was time to go, Lee popped a question that surprised everyone...

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Everyone finished packing up what little they had brought, making sure they didn't forget anything like a whip or wire that they might need later on. Lee sat near by, holding the bow Tira and Chocolate had convinced him to use once more, wondering how  bad his shot was compared to a few years ago.

"Are you two ready yet?" called Carrot, standing below with the other guys as Tira and Chocolate made one final check of their things.

"We're coming!!" replied Tira, hopping down to the ground gracefully. Chocolate followed a moment later, giving him a sweet smile.

"Did you miss me so much that you couldn't stand waiting, Darling?" she asked dramatically, glomping onto him.

"Er, get off," he said, detangling himself from her. Tira just rolled her eyes and went over to Lee to say good bye.

"Hey, little sis," he sighed, looking somewhat hopeful. "I have something to ask you. Don't answer right away, Big Mama won't open the portals for you guys for another few minutes, but, would you and Chocolate like to stay here with me? You know, be a family again."

Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at him, acting as if he had grown a second head or something.

"What?" he asked. "I can't leave this place, I'm bound to it until death. But you two can stay with me if you want. I've already asked Big Mama, and she said it was up to you."

The two sisters exchanged glances, both looking very nervous. 

"I can't," replied Chocolate, after a few minutes went by of complete silence. "I love you and all, Lee. You'll always be my big brother....but I can't. I'd go insane without something to punish or kill every once in a while."

"Oh. What about you, Tira?" The younger Misu sister struggled back and forth for awhile, ignoring the 5 pairs of eyes that were on her and she tried to come to a decision.

"Lee..." she said quietly. "You're my big brother, and you'll always have a special place in my heart, but.....I can't stay here either. I don't belong here." She glanced around herself for a second, eyes resting very on Carrot who gave her a pleading look before she turned back. "I belong with them. They are my family."

Lee sighed and nodded. "That's what she said you'd reply," he sighed glumly. "But I thought it couldn't hurt to ask."

"It didn't," replied Chocolate, giving him a hug. "Bye, bro. We'll come by and visit you sometime." Right then the portals opened, bidding them to come quickly before it closed.

"Bye!" yelled Lee, waving as she and Gateau disappeared into the first one, it closing behind them right afterwards. Marron and Lee exchanged nods and he leapt through the second, waiting for them on the other side.

"Take care," said Carrot, shaking his hand real quick.

"I will, and you too," replied Lee, giving his hand a firm squeeze. He turned to Tira and gave her a hug, nearly knocking the breath from her.

"Bye, Lee," she said softly, wiping the tears from her eyes. "I will come and visit sometime, I promise!"

"You'd better!" he replied, patting her on the head. "I'll miss you. All of you."

"And we'll all miss you."

"Take care of her for me," he said to Carrot as he was about to enter the portal. 

"I will," replied Carrot, jumping in before Tira could hit him with the mallet.

"I'll get him later," she shrugged, giving him one last smile. "I love you, Lee."

"I love you too, Tira." And with that, she was gone.

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And that, my friends, is the end. See? I gave you some humor, a slight dose of fluff, even some violence for those of you who like it. Maybe even what you'd call angst....yep, I'm good. Be kind and review, since you were nice enough to read this! ~crosseyedbutterfly~


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